


Maybe I'd Give You My World

by AmieWritesFic



Series: Glee Re-Watch and Companion Pieces [3]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:15:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 29,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25712686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmieWritesFic/pseuds/AmieWritesFic
Summary: Kurt is offered the job of a lifetime working in Paris for a Vogue affiliate magazine as a stylist. He is newly single, living in a gorgeous condo, in the most beautiful city in the world. The only issue is his roommate is his worst enemy, Sebastian Smythe. Can they learn to co-exist? Will the City of Love work its magic? Will the author ever learn how to write a good summary? (no, on that last one)
Relationships: Kurt Hummel/Sebastian Smythe
Series: Glee Re-Watch and Companion Pieces [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769377
Comments: 70
Kudos: 90





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the expanded story from chapter 12 of my Glee Rewatch series. The prologue is an edited version of that chapter. I'm trying this new thing where I don't completely bash Blaine or Klaine, we will see how it goes.  
> Anyways I can't really say how often I will update, but I am posting the Prologue and the first chapter at the same time.

Kurt looked around the loft. He knew all of his things were packed and loaded into the moving truck. but he wasn’t quite ready to walk out. He was leaving most of his furniture behind for Rachel, Santana, and whomever they have replace him for rent. Kurt from 6 months ago would never believe that he would be willingly leaving New York and NYADA and all his Broadway plans. But here he was, packing up his entire life and moving to Paris, France. 

Everything had happened very quickly. Isabelle had found him a position at an up-and-coming fashion magazine in Paris under the Vogue brand. He would still be working for Vogue.com as an overseas liaison, as well as assisting in the magazine’s style department. There was about 4 seconds of thought before Kurt accepted the offer. He suspended his classes at NYADA and began the long arduous process of finding an apartment in Paris. The magazine was too small to be able to budget anything for Kurt’s move, but that was fine with him. He was a Hummel and Hummels pave their own way. The biggest obstacle was Blaine. Blaine was not happy about Kurt moving away from him again. They had only just gotten back together and Blaine was freaking out about what the distance would do. Kurt felt like it was too much of a risk for them since Blaine cheated on him last time they were long distance and that was only one time-zone away. This was another country. Also, Kurt would be even busier in Paris then he was when he first moved to New York. Their break up was hard, but still amicable.

He had started looking for listings of anyone looking for a roommate, but he was coming up empty. Isabelle then told him that she had an idea. Her childhood friend, Julianne, a well-known french designer, had a condo in Paris that she never used. It was originally intended for Julianne’s son to use when he finished high school, but the son had yet to take the offer. He would complain that living alone was boring in any country. Julianne said it was just his way of being a brat and hoping to keep living with Isabelle, his godmother, in New York. 

Julianne was more than happy to allow Kurt to use the condo. They had met a few times when she would be in New York for shows and meetings and she absolutely adores Kurt. She told him that the condo was already paid for, he would just need to cover any utilities and extras he hoped to use. Kurt was ecstatic, it cut his expenses in half. And since there were 2 extra bedrooms in the condo. One he could use as an office and workroom, in the other he could have a roommate and save even more money. At that rate, he could afford to surprise his family with tickets to visit him. 

About a week before the big move, Julianne called him with news. “Kurt, my dear, I have a flatmate for you. My son has decided he does, in fact, want to live closer to his mother. So I told him that the condo was yours, but he is welcome to split the amount with you and stay in one of the spare bedrooms. Son or not, he pays his share.” 

“That’s great Julianne.” Kurt was less than happy, though. “And your son is ok living with me?”

“Well he either lives with you or with me. And I guess it is ‘uncool’ to live with your mom, these days.” Julianne laughed. Kurt could picture the signature smirk she shared with her son. “Sebastian, will be fine.”

“Assuming he doesn’t kill me in my sleep for sole claim of the condo.” Kurt tried to joke, but was sort of serious.

“You two are so cute with your bickering.” Julianne teased. She has often joked that Kurt and Sebastian would make wonderful lovers once they stopped hating each other so much. Kurt would usually grimace and Sebastian would call his mother batty before sending a slew of mockeries Kurt’s way.

And in present day, Kurt stood in the partially empty loft, sighing sadly. Rachel and Santana had already had their goodbyes that morning before having to leave for work and his other friends lived in other states, sending their well wishes over facebook. Burt and Carole were flying in to La Guardia to send Kurt off to Europe and then using the rest of the weekend as an early anniversary in NYC. 

A sudden knock behind him startled Kurt out of his daydream. “Hummel, we have to get to the airport by 2 if you want time to see your parents.”

Kurt turned and looked at Sebastian, his biggest rival and his new roommate. “Yea, I’m coming. Just getting one last look in.”

With that he turned to the door, placed his key on the hook, and followed Sebastian out to Isabelle, waiting in the cab. As they drove to the airport, the radio played a familiar song. Kurt closed his eyes and let the sounds of Fleetwood Mac wash over him. 6 months ago, he never would have believed he would give up his Broadway dream for anything, 3 months ago he would have never believed he would give up Blaine for anything, 1 week ago he would have never believed he would give up his feud with Sebastian for anything. But as Kurt contemplated his future ahead of him; Paris, fashion, designing and styling, he couldn’t imagine anything else he’d rather be doing. A small smile spread across his face as he quietly sang along.

_ You can go your own way _

_ You can call it another lonely day _

_ You can go your own way _


	2. The American Suite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just assume everything in italics is french

The flight was incredibly long and incredibly boring. They had found a direct flight and Sebastian had insisted on going first class, which left Kurt alone in the economy seating. He forgot to put a book or magazine in his carry-on, so even reading was out of the question. He finally settled on using his emergency credit card and paying for inflight movies until he fell asleep. Luckily for his wallet, that happened about halfway through the second film. Before he knew it, Kurt was gently being poked awake by the teenage girl he had been sitting next to.

“Dude, the plane landed. Can you please get up so i can leave?” The annoyed girl had a strong German accent, “I have another flight to catch.” 

“Sorry.” Kurt stood to let the girl and her travel companion out into the main aisle. He preferred to wait for the initial push of passengers before trying to queue up to leave the plane. Once Kurt made his way through the bridge, he headed to the baggage claim to meet up with Sebastian. Most of their stuff was being shipped from New York, but they each packed a suitcase of essentials and clothes, just in case there was a delay on their belongings. Anyone who thought Kurt was high maintenance had obviously never traveled with Sebastian Smythe. Kurt had fit 2 weeks of outfits and all his toiletries in one decent sized suitcase and a carryon backpack. Sebastian, however, had 3 suitcases, a backpack, and a messenger bag. When Kurt commented on how he only needed to pack for about 10 days, Sebastian laughed and said that it was only 10 days worth of stuff. Also the fact that Sebastian traveled in a full suit while Kurt simply had a t-shirt and pants. He wanted to be comfortable for the long flight. 

“You look like a slob, Hummel.” Sebastian said when he first saw Kurt at the baggage claim.

“I look adorable and your suit is wrinkled.” Kurt shot back.

Sebastian quickly smoothed out his shirt and jacket, “It is not.”

The two grabbed their bags and loaded them on a trolley. They were on their way to the taxi port when they heard a voice calling to them.  _ “Kurt, Sebastian, over here! _ ” 

They turned to see Julianne Smythe, Sebastian’s mother, waving wildly at them. They quickly made their way to her and exchanged hugs. 

_ “Mom, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at a show in Milan? _ ”

“ _ The show was last night, I wanted to surprise my favorite boy on his first day in Paris _ .” Julianne smiled mischievously, “ _ I also wanted to see you too, Sebastian. _ ”

Kurt laughed at the pout on Sebastian’s face. 

“ _ He is not your favorite _ .” Sebastian whined, “ _ I am _ .”

“Such a child.” Kurt teased.

The three of them made their way to Julianne’s town car which brought them to their new home. The building was covered in pale stone and it appeared that each unit had a balcony overlooking the city. Up to this point, Kurt had only seen a few pictures, but they did not do justice to the beauty of the building itself. They made their way to the 7th floor, and Kurt was very happy for elevators, given the weight of Sebastian’s suitcases. Each floor had 4 units and theirs was right to the left of the elevator doors. Julianne handed them each a key and they made their way in. Sebastian had seen the place many times growing up, but to Kurt’ this was all new. The spacious living space had a large window overlooking the Paris skyline. To one side there was a galley kitchen and dining area and the main space also held a TV viewing space and a small reading nook with a 6 foot tall bookcase. Branching off the main room was a hallway that lead to the master suite and the two additional bedrooms. The master and one of the bedrooms had a small balcony, the 3rd bedroom only had a bay window. This room would be Kurt’s office. There was also a guest bathroom connecting the 2 smaller bedrooms and the hallway. This area of the home had a small laundry closet with a stacked washer and dryer. 

“ _ It’s beautiful here _ .” Kurt sighed. “ _ So much bigger than I was expecting. I know french homes are usually small. _ ”

“ _ The building is unofficially called ‘The American Suites’ because everything is big and spacious like a flat in America _ .” Julianne explained. 

“All it’s missing is a hairy, fat guy named Biff outside catcalling 19 yearold girls and it’d feel just like New York.” Sebastian joked in English, as the joke was more for Kurt than his mother. He dragged the last of his suitcases into his room and closed the door behind himself. 

  
  


“ _ See you later, darling, i guess. _ ” Julianne rolled her eyes. She knew his attitude was mostly an act he put on for Kurt. She thought it was cute how her son liked to push Kurt’s buttons and she found it hilarious when Kurt gave it right back. 

“ _ Julianne, I can’t thank you enough. This place is amazing. _ ”

“ _ It’s nothing, Kurt. Just do me one favor _ ?”

“ _ Of course, anything. _ ”

“ _ Keep an eye out for Sebastian. I worry about him here. I love having him close, but last time he lived in France, he went through a rough time. I just hope he can keep away from all of that, this time around. _ ”

“ _ I’ll try my best. But you know he may not listen to me _ .”

“ _ Don’t be so sure. _ ” Julianne gave Kurt a quick kiss on the cheek. “ _ I think he cares about what you think more than you know. We will talk later. Enjoy Paris. _ ”

  
_ “Bye Julianne _ .” Kurt waved at her as she let herself out. He took a long look at his new home and let out a happy little squeal. Not loud enough for Sebastian to hear. As he settled into his bedroom and unpacked his things, he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Sebastian was into the last time he lived in Paris. Maybe it was sleeping around, or partying. Kurt wasn’t sure. Kurt realized that there was a lot he didn’t know about Sebastian, and he was surprised how much he wanted to know more. Kurt shook himself from his thoughts and set to his next important task, finding something for dinner.


	3. 3 Weeks Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one. We get a little backstory on Sebbykins. 
> 
> (Trigger Warning: OCD/Mental Illness)

Living with Sebastian was less stressful than Kurt thought it would be. For the most part, he kept to himself and stayed quiet. Kurt was sure, given Sebastian’s past, that he would have to invest in a pair of ear plugs and prepare himself for random visitors every night. But as it seemed in the 3 weeks they have been living together, Sebastian came home alone every night. Another thing he noticed about Sebastian was he was incredibly tidy. He would clean every surface after using it, he vacuumed every morning and his space would always be perfectly organized at all times. Even when Sebastian cooked, his dishes never stayed dirty for longer than it took to use them. The only issue they had, other than the occasional quip, was Sebastian flipped out at Kurt for a mug left on the counter. That particular morning, Kurt was running late and didn’t even realize he had left it out. Sebastian screamed at him as soon as he walked through the door.

“Oh look, the slob is home!” Sebastian stood in the main living space, arms crossed, holding a cleaning rag.

“Excuse me?” Kurt was barely in the door before he was being bombarded. 

“You left your dirty coffee mug on the counter. I had to scrub for 10 minutes to clean the ring it left. I clean up after myself, why can't you?”

“Oh my god, Sebastian.” Kurt rolled his eyes as he took his shoes off and placed them in the cubbies Sebastian had installed. “It’s one mug and I doubt it left a stain. You're being dramatic.”

Sebastian growled, “I’m dramatic? You practically bit my head off for going into the spare room to vacuum the other day. The room you haven’t even set up yet, might I add. How long do you plan on keeping that room so cluttered? It’s like a hoarder room.”

“First of all, there are like 4 boxes, tops, and they aren’t even in the way of anything. I was annoyed because you decided that 5 am was a great time to vacuum the whole house including my bedroom and my office.”

“At least I do some cleaning around here.”

“Yea, excessively. I mean, at first I appreciated it because I was starting a new job and still trying to figure out my way around the city, but I feel like I’m in a museum and if I touch anything, you’ll have a conniption. It’s my home, Sebastian, I should be comfortable.”

“It’s my mother’s home. And you disrespect the gift she gave you by leaving dirty dishes everywhere.”

“It was one mug! You don’t need to be so OCD about it!” Kurt’s face was getting red.

Sebastian’s eyes flashed with something. Kurt wasn’t sure if it was rage or hurt, but he immediately regretted what he just said. “You know what, Hummel? Forget it. Just clean your shit up!” 

“Seba-” But it was too late, Sebastian stormed out the front door.

Sebastian didn’t come back that night. A text from Julianne assured Kurt that Sebastian was safely at her home but she gave no other reassurance. Kurt felt guilty, for sure, and was very glad that his job kept him busy and distracted. Working at the magazine was a whirlwind. He had his own small office in the back of the wardrobe. His boss, the lead stylist, had the larger office at the front of the wardrobe. Kurt liked her. Megan was from England, and her French was mostly conversational. She relied on Kurt a lot to interpret conversations with other departments and models and he did the best he could. Kurt’s French was mostly self taught and he knew he was far from speaking like a native. A few other employees were native English speakers as well, so no one judged him if his accent wasn’t perfect or if there was a particular word he struggled to know. Other than interpreting for Megan, she had him assisting on fittings for photoshoots, taking polaroids for the go-sees, and occasionally he had to do a coffee run. On top of working with Megan, he still had to produce weekly articles for Vogue.com about European fashion trends and designers. 

Work kept him busy. During his off-time, Kurt finished setting up his office. It held a small desk for his laptop, a sewing table, a cabinet for fabrics and supplies, a couple clothing racks, and 2 mannequin forms. He took his time to make sure everything was tidy and neat, so that when Sebastian came back, he wouldn’t be upset. Kurt wasn’t sure why he cared about Sebastian’s opinion of his office, but he tried not to dwell on it. Kurt also kept up with dusting and vacuuming as well.

It was five days before Sebastian came back. It was a Sunday, so Kurt was home. He was reading a magazine while eating lunch when there was a knock at the door.

“Kurt, it’s me. I forgot my keys when I left.” Sebastian’s voice muffled through the door.

Kurt quickly went and let Sebastian in. “I’m sorry.” He blurted out.

“Don’t be.” Sebastian chuckled before heading into the condo. “I should explain myself anyway.” 

“Oh, ok. Well I just made some chicken soup. There’s extra in the fridge, if you want any.” Kurt felt like he needed to explain the lonely bowl and spoon at the table.

“I’m fine. Just sit and eat, that way you don’t interrupt me while I talk.” 

“Ok.” Kurt did just that.

“When I was 13, my Grandfather died. He was my dad’s father, but was more of a dad to me than my actual dad ever was. He’s the one who got me into music. He would drag me to church every sunday and talked me into joining the choir. On my 13th birthday, I told him I thought I was gay. He was actually very supportive, and bought me all these self-help books about coming out and stuff. I read through each one in a week. But, being a messy teenage boy, I had left them out in all the mess of my room. My step-mother, at the time, went into my room to borrow my phone charger and found them. She was one of those super crazy christans who hated gays. She told my dad, and he was so obsessed with her still, so he went along with her crazy ideals. He screamed all these awful things at me until I told him that my Grandpa Mitch had gotten them for me. My dad banned my Grandpa from seeing me ever again. A week later, my Grandpa died of a heart attack. My Step-mother blamed me for putting the stress of ‘a faggy grandson’ on him. My dad, being upset, agreed with her. They sent me to live here with my mom.” Sebastian took a few deep breaths to collect himself. 

Kurt had all but forgotten his lunch as he listened to Sebastian talk, his heart breaking. 

Sebastian continued, “I was in a bad place when I moved in with my mom. I couldn’t help but feel like my grandpa dying was my fault. That me being gay was what killed him. The stress of my secret gave him a bad heart and helping me pushed him too hard. That if i wasn’t a slob, those books would have been hidden. I felt like I was wired wrong and I felt dirty. So it kind of just started with me just keeping my room clean, or washing my hands a little too often. That if I cleaned myself and my space enough, no one else had to know anything or get hurt. It never felt like enough, though. It actually got so bad that one day I scrubbed my hands too aggressively, that the skin started to break and my hands were bleeding. Then I had to wash off the blood. My mom came home to me crying over the sink, covered in blood and soap, rambling about how I was still dirty. She took me to a psychiatrist that day. Just walked in and demanded someone help me. I got scared because the last time someone tried to help me, they died. I had a panic attack right there in the lobby. One of the doctors heard the commotion and saw me on the ground, bandaged hands, and my mom yelling at the receptionist. He came up to me, helped me calm my breath. He asked me little questions, my name, age, what color shirt I was wearing. Once I was calm enough, he had my mom and I go to his office. Once the door was closed, the flood gates opened. I told him everything, about my Grandpa, my sexuality, feeling dirty all the time. After an hour, he said it was clear I had a severe anxiety disorder. He didn’t want to put me on any drugs until he had more time to address my condition. I saw him twice a week at first, then just once a week. Eventually he did prescribe anti-anxiety medication. It helped a little, but my more compulsive habits weren’t getting better. He increased my dose, and suddenly, I no longer felt the need to clean obsessively. I mean, I still cleaned because you're supposed to but, a normal amount. And my anxiety was almost nonexistent. The problem was, a little anxiety isn’t a bad thing. I started getting reckless. I just didn’t care if all the partying or sleeping around was dangerous. I didn’t care about anything. My mom got scared again and my psychiatrist tried to add an antidepressant to my meds, but she put her foot down. She didn’t want a drugged up kid with no emotion, she just wanted a happy kid.”

Kurt moved to place his hand on top of Sebastian’s, but pulled back. Sebastian paused at the motion, and looked intently at Kurt. After a second, he shook his head and continued the story.

“So my mom called my dad. He had since divorced his Bible-thumping wife and was seeing another woman. She was actually a children’s psychologist and she said her collegue works with OCD in children. So after a lot of deliberation, they all felt it would be better if I moved back to Ohio to go see this specialist. Since I was still apprehensive about being around my dad, we agreed on my boarding at Dalton. He actually only lived 10 minutes from the school if I needed anything, but I was grateful for the space. The specialist took me off the meds I was on and started me on a less aggressive medication. Turns out the French doctor put me on an antipsychotic. That was far too much for a skinny 15 year old kid. The switch in my medication kind of messed me up for a bit. I developed anger issues and unfortunately that’s when you met me. After the Karofsky incident, that kind of snapped something in place. I decided to channel everything into my studies and the Warblers and ended up graduating a year early. My mom offered to let me move into this condo, but I was worried about being on my own. It’s not that I’m scared to be alone, but my issues kind of require a support system and my mom’s schedule doesn’t really supply that. Living with Isabelle in New York was great. Her husband worked regular hours, so even if Isabelle was super busy, I had someone if I needed them. I also had a really great friend at my job that knew about my OCD. Their support, along with my meds, I was doing well.”

Kurt waited a beat to see if Sebastian was going to say anything else, but it seemed like he was done. “Thank you for telling me. I’m sorry for insulting you about the cleaning.”

“Really Kurt, it’s fine. I think I just needed an adjustment period. But I found someone to talk to here, someone who won't put me on crazy pills, like that first guy. I think I can mellow out.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Go for it.”

“Why did you come to Paris? If you had a good thing in New York, why move here?” 

“I wanted to move here when it was first offered, but not alone. When my mom said that you were going to be using this place, I figured that we got along enough to not be in each other's way. I mean, we bicker, but I’d like to think after all my visits to Vogue, you and I formed a sort of friendship.”

Kurt took a moment to think back on the last year living in New York and Sebastian’s constant visits to the Vogue office. Even when they argued, it wasn’t vindictive or cruel. Mostly it was just teasing back and forth about relatively superficial things. “Shit, I think we are friends.”

“See, that wasn’t so hard to admit. Now if you don’t mind. I need to go sleep off all this emotional vulnerability before you go thinking I’m some sap.” With that, Sebastian went into his room. 

Kurt got up to reheat his soup. He thought back on the entire time he had known Sebastian. Suddenly a lot of things clicked into place. Sebastian was always extremely put together, not a hair out of place. He always made it look effortless, but it was a practiced skill. His demeanor at the beginning made so much sense now. He knew from watching his mom when she was sick, that a sudden change in medication can really mess with your emotions. 

Kurt took his soup into his office. As he ate, he researched on his laptop as much as he could about anxiety, OCD, and being a good source of support. If he was going to be Sebatian’s support system, he was going to do it right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to keep the anxiety/OCD talk casual, the way someone may explain it to a friend. I personally deal with severe anxiety and compulsory habits, but I have always been unmedicated (I'm real fun at parties....jk). I pulled some things from my experiences for Seb's story, but most of it is fictional.


	4. Sebastian's Dumb Idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Assume the italics are in french  
> (read the end notes for important commentary on the story)

Kurt and Sebastian were enjoying a rare night of lounging around. Kurt’s first issue at the magazine launched that day and he had bought a french feast from the restaurant across the street to celebrate. He worked hard and he deserved carbs. Sebastian had gotten a barista job to help pay his half of the utilities. But he had the next day off, so he joined Kurt on the couch, to help celebrate. Sebastian smiled to himself when he saw Kurt had put a small tablecloth down before setting the food and drinks up. He really appreciated the effort Kurt made with him and his compulsions. And Sebastian did his part by letting Kurt have his space with the office and Kurt’s room. They agreed that Sebastian would leave those areas alone if Kurt kept them as neat as possible. They had decided to watch each other’s favorite films while they ate. Sebastian had picked the movie Amelié, it was quirky and French and he had loved it for years. Kurt surprised Sebastian with his choice and picked Die Hard. 

“What? I like Alan Rickman and it’s just a solid movie.” Kurt shrugged and settled in to watch the movie. Kurt refused to admit he liked it because it was the movie his dad and mom had their first date at and they watched it every year on their anniversary. Burt kept the tradition going with Kurt after Elizabeth died. Kurt loved it because he got to watch a grownup movie with his dad and because it made him feel closer to his mom. It wasn’t until after they got married that Carole, and subsequently Finn, were included. This was the first time he was watching the film outside of the tradition. 

“Ok, Die Hard it is.” Sebastian leaned back and pushed play. They were about half an hour into the film when Kurt’s phone started vibrating like crazy. Sebastian watched as Kurt glanced at the screen, rolled his eyes, and put the phone down again. This happened twice more before Sebastian paused the movie and spoke up. “Do you plan on answering that Hummel?”

“I’d rather not. We have this new intern, Louis, at the magazine that’s got some kind of crush on me. The only reason he has my number is if there is a work related question. But he keeps texting me about things in Paris he thinks I would like, or sending me pictures of clothes I would ‘look amazing in’. It hasn’t really crossed a line of decency, it’s just very annoying.” Kurts phone buzzed again. “And now he’s telling me about this open mic his campus is doing.”

“Tell him you have a boyfriend and that he doesn’t like him texting you.”

Kurt typed a response. “I said, ‘sorry I think I’m a bit old for that kind of place and my boyfriend wouldn’t like it anyways’.”

“See, problem solved.” Sebastian pushed play and sat back. A minute later Kurt’s phone buzzed again. Sebastian paused the movie. “Now what?”

“He said, ‘oh a boyfriend? Never mentioned him before. What’s his name?’” Kurt groaned “Now what do I do?”

“Here, give me your phone.” Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s phone, took a selfie, and typed a response. He handed the phone back to Kurt for approval to send. 

The text read, “My name is Sebastian. And Kurt is not interested.”

Kurt chewed his lip, “Seb, you’re not my boyfriend. What if a rumor starts and your mom or Isabelle thinks we’re dating?”

“My mom would probably jump for joy and try and start planning a wedding and Isabelle knows better. Besides it’s just to get this guy off your back. It’s an easy lie, we are roommates, we are friends of some sort, and I look great in a suit for any and all office parties. Eventually this guy will lose interest or get over it.” 

Kurt sighed and hit send. “If this backfires on me, I’m dragging you down with me.”

“Whatever gets us back to watching the movie, babe.”

“Do not call me babe!” Kurt playfully slapped Sebastian’s arm and put his phone away. They watched the rest of the movie in peace. 

Most of the following week went smoothly for Kurt. Louis left him alone, for the most part. He asked Kurt a bunch of questions about him and Sebastian. Kurt was able to answer most of the questions absolutely honestly. 

_ “How did you meet?” _

_ “High school. He was in a rival show choir and we had a mutual friend.” _

_ “Is he romantic?” _

_ “No, but he doesn’t like to stress about stuff. We like to stay in.” _

_ “Who asked who out?” _

_ “Uh, it just kind of happened.” _

_ “Have you met the parents?”  _

_ “His mom is great. She and I get along great.” _

Everything was going great until the magazine got a very special visitor. Julianne Smythe loved an entrance and there was no better entrance than a surprise one. On Thursday, she showed up to the magazine and everyone was in a sudden spiral. Designers rarely showed up to the HQ office unless there was an emergency. Julianne asked for the style department and an intern took her directly to Kurt’s office. Megan, the head stylist, was on a destination photoshoot in Nice and Kurt had to watch the wardrobe for the day. Kurt heard a knock and looked up to see Louis standing with Julianne Smythe. 

“ _ Julianne _ !” Kurt jumped up and kissed her on the cheeks. “ _ Thank you Louis, that will be all. _ ”

Just as Louis was about to leave the wardrobe he heard Julianne say, “ _ Kurt, my dear, I hope my son isn’t driving you crazy at home.” _

Louis stood stalk still. He couldn’t believe it. Kurt’s boyfriend was Julianne Smythe’s son. 

“ _ Julianne. He is definitely driving me crazy, but I drive him crazy right back _ .” Kurt said with a laugh as he closed the door to his office.

Louis could no longer hear the conversation but quickly opened the Facebook app on his phone and typed in Sebastian’s name. There were 3 people of the name but only one with the face from the text Kurt sent. Sebastian’s Facebook was mostly set to private, but from what Louis could see he was very good looking, he was originally from the US, and he had no public pictures with Kurt. Louis then checked Kurt’s profile. It was less private, but most of the personal information was hidden. Kurt however, did have one public photo of Sebastian carrying a large box and making a grimace. The caption read, “He packed all those books, he can carry them in!” 

There was also a status update that Kurt left public that read, “Amelie is amazing. Thanks, Seb for forcing me to watch it #movienight”

Louis didn’t fully trust that they were dating. Was it a rouse to get Kurt his stylist job by pretending to date a designer’s son? Was it a lie to keep Kurt from him? Or was it all legitimate? Louis knew one thing for sure, he would figure it out. Suddenly he remembered something important, the fall launch was fastly approaching and the magazine was going to hold a huge gala in partnership with their parent company, Vogue. He could observe Kurt and Sebastian in person and really figure out what was going on.

Back in Kurt’s office, he took it upon himself to get ahead of any drama and let Julianne in on Sebastian’s idiotic plan. “ _ Louis was starting to get too close to asking me out, so Seb told me to say I had a boyfriend. Then pretended to be that boyfriend. So now Louis wont stop asking me about our relationship. Now we have this gala next week and I don’t know if i can keep up an act with Seb actually there. _ ”

Julianne shook her head, “Pish posh.  _ You had 18 months at that fancy acting school. And Seb would never let me tell this, but he is quite the little actor himself. He used to act out entire musicals in our family room, playing every role _ .” 

“ _ We don’t touch, Julianne. You and I are more intimate than Seb and I. What if we come off awkward and Louis figures it out and keeps trying to flirt with me and then there is an HR issue and then I become THAT guy in the office… _ ”

“ _ Kurt, my darling, you and Bastian will be fine. And maybe, life will imitate art and you will fall in love for real _ .” Julianne said with a wink. “ _ Now come, I’ll take you to lunch _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! First and foremost, this is NOT a fake dating fic. The act wont last long enough and is a VERY small factor in the whole of the story. Second, Louis is not a good guy. I wont say more about that, but know that he is not going to be a redeemable character. I'm trying to avoid this being a Blaine unfriendly fic, so I need to villainize someone. Third, I have the end of the story planned and a few key plot points but the in-between parts aren't fully mapped out. It's looking like we may be 20 chapters (including the prologue), but you never know. I WANT to finish this story at least on my end by September 8th. That is when school starts up again for me and I will be extremely busy with research and papers.   
> Finally, i want to urge you beautiful readers to be involved in my writing process. This story is a side story of my Glee Re-Watch series. I will be working on more prompts from my list. I have a list up to "Saturday Night Glee-ver" so if you have any late season 3 or later episodes/scenes/characters you want reworked or revisited, please head over to that story and comment with prompts. I don't have time to rewatch every episode any more so if you guys can direct me to what YOU want to see, I would appreciate it.
> 
> PS: I love you guys and your comments bring me so much joy in my heart.


	5. The Gala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics=French   
> Julianne Smythe is My Queen.

The night of the gala, Kurt was very nervous. This is the first time he actually has to put on the act of Sebastian’s boyfriend. He was glad that Julianne was in on the secret. He could never lie to the woman who helped make his Paris dreams come true. Sebastian was actually excited for the event. It had been a while since he last got to dress up and charm a crowd. Outside of work, the only people he really talked to were Kurt and his mother. Occasionally Isabelle would text him to check up, but he hadn’t actually talked to her since the move. 

Once they were both ready, they headed down to the car that Julianne had sent for them. “Future fashion designers don’t take cabs, Kurt.” She said when Kurt tried to refuse.

Kurt tried not to focus on how good Sebastian looked in his suit. It was much better fitted and more high-end then the one he wore on the plane. It was clear his mother had designed it special for him. Kurt was also wearing a Julianne Smythe original, but he did all the adjustments for himself. Kurt also tried not to focus on the stunned look Sebastian had when he saw Kurt’s look for the evening. He couldn’t tell if it was good or bad, so he felt it was better to not think of it. 

“So, how are we playing this?” Sebastian said in the car. “How much PDA is expected here?”

They had already gone over some things. Kurt felt that it should be as much truth as possible to keep their story simple; they met in high school through Kurt’s ex and they did not get along, they reconnected in New York a couple years later and decided to start over, they became friends and just fell into a relationship, they used Kurt’s new job as an opportunity to move in together. 

Kurt thought about it. He was never a big fan of people who were all over each other all the time. “I don’t love PDA. All of my friends were always practically humping in the halls of school and that just put me off on the entire concept. I say, we keep it simple. Occasional arm around the waist or an interlocking of arms is fine.”

“Are we doing Pretty Woman rules?” Sebastian asked with his signature smirk.

“What do you mean?”

“Pretty Woman rules. No kissing.” 

“Uh, not on the lips. Even if we were dating I wouldn’t be comfortable doing that at a work event.” Kurt started to wring his hands. Maybe this was a bad idea. It’s not too late to drop Sebastian back at the condo. People would understand if he showed up alone.

Sebastian saw Kurt’s nerves and placed his hand on top of Kurt’s wringing ones. “Kurt, relax. No one will know otherwise. Even if we fall into our usual banter, couples bicker all the time. My mom says we are an old married couple anyways. We got this. Besides, tonight is bigger than us. Your first big season launch. My mom always said these things were her favorite part of the industry.” 

Kurt smiled. Sebastian was right. This night wasn’t about them or him. It was about fashion. “Thanks, Seb.”

“Any time, Hummel.” Sebastian sat back but kept his hand on top of Kurt’s. Now that the physical barrier was broken, it wasn’t so scary to have to do so later.

They pulled up to the party and the driver opened the door for them. Kurt took Sebastian’s arm in his and led him to the ballroom. As soon as they entered, Louis was in Kurt’s face. 

“ _ So this is the boyfriend? _ ” Louis held his hand out, “ _ Louis Bisset. Kurt has told me all about you. _ ”

Sebastian took Louis’ hand, “ _ Sebastian Smythe. Can’t say the same about you. I do know that you text him a lot. All work related, I hope _ .”

“ _ Of course. I wouldn’t want to disrupt such a cute little couple. _ ” Louis said with a kind of acidity in his voice.

Kurt watched as the two stared each other down. He had to commend Sebastian for his amazing acting. He played the part of a jealous boyfriend very well. “ _ Well we should move along. Your mom wanted to see us as soon as we arrived, Seb _ .”

Sebastian broke his stare and looked at Kurt, “ _ Yes, love, let us find my crazy mother. Enjoy the party, Lawrence _ .”

“ _ It’s Louis. _ ” Louis said as he watched Kurt and Sebastian walk off. He still didn’t buy it. Something was off about the two of them and he was going to find out. And even if they were together, Louis knew he could still catch Kurt’s eye. No one turned him down, when Louis Bisset saw a piece of ass, Louis Bisset got that piece of ass.

As Kurt and Sebastian wove through the mingling crowd to their table with Julianne, Sebastian huffed, “Was that how it was when I was going after Blaine? I wasn’t as much of a creep, was I?”

“Oh, you were worse. You straight up hit on Blaine in front of me and mocked me to my face. Louis is just a bit slimy, but he didn’t hit on me in front of you.”

“I’m sure he would have if I gave him the chance to.” Sebastian pouted. “Something is off about that guy. I just know it.”

“He’s harmless.” Kurt laughed as they reached the table. They both greeted Julianne.

_ “My beautiful boy, you have arrived. And it is lovely to see you too, Sebastian. _ ” She laughed.

“ _ Really mom? _ ” Sebastian rolled his eyes. “ _ We get it, you like Kurt more than me. Must you rub it in my face.” _

“ _ Oh my little monkey. I do adore Kurt, but you are my happiness, Bastian. I just like to tease _ .” Julianne sat back with her wine in hand. 

_ “Mom! Please don’t call me monkey in front of people. I’m 21 years old _ .” Sebastian's face went red.

“ _ Oh my god! I am never going to let this go. The great Sebastian Smythe, embarrassed by his mommy. _ ” Kurt laughed. 

Sebastian leaned into Kurt’s ear and placed his hand on Kurt’s leg whispering, “Don’t you dare.”

Kurt felt a shiver down his spine as Sebastian’s breath tickled his ear. He was about to ask what that was about, when he looked up to see Louis standing in front of their table. 

“ _ Oh, Lester. You’re here, in our space… again. _ ” Sebastian’s voice was full of annoyance.

“I _ t’s Louis. We met very quickly, I can see how you may have forgotten. I mean, I believe it is one of the most common names in France, but who am I to say? _ ” Louis squinted at Sebastian for a beat before his face softened and turned to Julianne. “ _ Ms. Smythe. They have us interns working the gala and I have been sent to escort you to the stage. The speeches will begin in a few moments.” _

Julianne looked from Louis, to Sebastian, to Kurt. With a smirk, she stood and said, “ _ Young man, I am very capable of escorting myself the 20 feet to the stage _ .” 

Kurt held in a giggle and Julianne sauntered away from the table and directly to the side of the stage. His expression dropped when he noticed Louis was still standing at their table, staring at Kurt. 

“ _ Kurt, you know, I don’t have to work the entire time. I hope you save me a dance. I’m sure Sebby here won't mind _ .”

“Oh I mind.” Sebastian was about to stand, but Kurt stopped him. “ _ And only Kurt and my mother can call me a nickname. You call me Sebastian, or you call me nothing at all! _ ”

“ _ Ok, Nothing at all, how about you let me and my coworker chat alone for a minute _ .”

“ _ Not happening _ .”

Louis switched to English, “Jealousy is a very unattractive trait, buddy.”

“I am not your ‘buddy’ and Kurt’s not interested in your clammy fuck boy hands touching him. So I suggest you move along.”

“My Kurt, are you going to let your guard dog do all the talking for you?”

“Sorry Louis, my dance card in full. And I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t insult my boyfriend. You claim to want to be my friend, but that comes with a level of respect for me and the people I care about.”

“I do apologise, Kurt. I guess I got caught up in your boyfriend’s animosity. Enjoy your evening, Kurt.” Louis turned to Sebastian, “Enjoy your evening, Sebastian.”

Sebastian continued to glare at Louis until he had disappeared in the crowd. As soon as he was out of sight, his body relaxed. “I really hate that guy.”

Kurt looked at Sebastian sympathetically, “I take it back. Louis is worse than you were with Blaine. At least you didn’t act so fake.”

Everyone began to take their seats as the presentation part of the evening began. A representative from Vogue and the Editor-in-chief of the magazine spoke first. After them, Megan, Kurt’s boss, came up and discussed the future of fall fashion. She also announced that the designs of Julianne Smythe will be the featured designer of the fall season. Julianne came unto the stage and gave a brief presentation of her new fall line. Kurt loved hearing the insider information of how the fashion industry worked. Julianne finished her speech and the Editor came back up to give a closing statement. Once the speeches were over, dinner was served. Then it was time for dancing. It wasn’t the type of dancing Kurt liked, the music was slow, quiet, and dated. He was, however, thankful he was at NYADA long enough to take a ballroom class. He was no professional, but he could lead well enough. He did one waltz with Julianne and a foxtrot with Megan. The rest of the evening he danced with Sebastian. Kurt would never admit it, but was kind of comforting to be held close by Sebastian. Sebastian was much more experienced with the stuffy style of dancing, being used to attending these types of parties. 

After an hour, Their feet hurt and they headed back to the table to relax. “You have some great moves there, Hummel. Never would have guessed after the horrific display you did at Scandals.”

“First of all, that was more about keeping you and Blaine separate than it was about dancing. Second, between Cheerios, glee, and Cassandra July, I probably have more dance experience than anyone here.”

“I took tap classes for 10 years. My Grandpa knew Fred Astaire and would tell me all these stories. So I wanted to be a dancer when I grew up. My dad agreed that tap was worthy enough, so I took classes up until… well, you know.” Sebastian got quiet. 

Kurt held Sebastian’s hands in his, it was easier to be touchy-feely with Sebastian as the night wore on. “It’s not too late to start again. I’m sure there are adult classes around here.”

“I don’t know. That's what I wanted as a kid. It’s not really my dream anymore. Looking back, I think I had anxiety long before everything with my Grandpa. I was a fidgety kid. Dance helped a lot with my fidgetiness. But now with therapy and medication, I feel a lot less restless. I don’t feel the need to dance. I like to, but for fun. I prefer books anyways.”

“If you’re sure.” Kurt shrugged it off. After a moment of comfortable quiet, Sebastian let out a small yawn. “You know, it’s just dancing the rest of the night. We can totally leave at any time.”

“If you want to. It’s your work party.”

“The important part was the speeches and dinner. I’m ready to go home, put on sweatpants, and eat American amounts of food. These small french plates are killing me.”

Sebastian laughed. He remembered having the same problem when he first moved to France. “Ok, babe. Let’s find my mom, say goodnight, and head out.”

  
As they got up to leave, they did not notice Louis sitting nearby, listening to the entire conversation. “ _ So the golden boy has anxiety and takes medication. Breaking them up will be easier than I thought. And I wonder if this Blaine is the key. _ ” Louis thought as he dialed a number on his phone and walked out the back door. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .....Louis can suck a duck


	6. A Storm Brews

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one. It's kind of a set up of what is to come.

If there was anything important to know about Louis, it was that there was no information that he could not find. After a couple of phone calls, Louis had not only the name of Sebastian’s psychiatrist, but the pharmacy he used as well. Louis’ methods may not be completely legal, but they got results. The first stage of the plan was to find out exactly what it was Sebastian needed to be medicated for. Then he just needed to figure out to exploit that to his advantage.  The night of the gala, Louis hired a friend, of sorts, to break into the doctor’s office. The friend staged it as if a junkie may have broken in for drugs. He opened every office and opened every cabinet and drawer. He then broke into the receptionist area and took a few random medication samples that were locked in a cage at the back of the room. Once the staging was complete, the friend went back to one of the offices. He expertly opened the file cabinet and found Sebastian’s file. He took a few polaroids of the pages within it and put everything back. Once the burglar was away from the scene, he trashed the drugs he stole and made his way to the rendez-vous spot with the photos.  The following night, the same thief was hired to break into Sebastian’s pharmacy. It was a small family owned spot and they didn’t have enough security systems. The thief took the entire supply of Sebastian’s medication, any alternatives, and a few other random drugs and items to cover his traces. Once far enough away from the scene, the thief again trashed the drugs and disappeared into the night.  Louis saw that according to Sebastian’s file, his next refill wasnt for a few days. It would be a waiting game for the time being. But he also had enough information on the man to formulate a series of triggering scenarios. It was time to show Kurt how much of a little psycho his boyfriend really was. 

Meanwhile, before news of the break-ins had gotten to him, Sebastian was lying in bed, listening to the gentle humming of Kurt’s sewing machine in the other room. Kurt loved to make his own clothes. He would drag Sebastian to secondhand stores and buy things that were maybe a little too big or too ugly, then transform them into completely new items tailor fit for Kurt’s body. Sometimes he would make Sebastian something, but mostly he made his own clothes. Sebastian was always fascinated by the process. Sometimes he would even sit in the room with Kurt, pretending to be reading his book, stating the noises helped relax him. It was his own personal white noise machine. The sounds of the scissors cutting fabric, the pins poking through layers of cotton or denim, the quiet humming Kurt would make as he worked. It was very therapeutic. Sometimes Sebastian would forget to read all together and just watch Kurt work. He would catch himself staring at his nimble fingers effortlessly pinching and pinning, and find himself wondering if he handled all tasks with such finesse. There would be moments when Kurt’s brow would furrow as he thread the machine, and Sebastian would almost reach out to smooth the slight wrinkle. In fact, Sebastian would find himself looking at Kurt a lot. Even when they were sworn enemies, Kurt’s idle gestures would fascinate him. They way he bit his lip when he was nervous or excited, the way his nose would twitch slightly when he was annoyed, the way his hands would subconsciously smooth over his clothes when he was feeling a bit too uneasy. 

That morning, Sebastian made the mistake of saying all of this to Isabelle on the phone. She finally had time to call. She called him late at night her time, but she knew Sebastian always woke up very early. They caught up and Sebastian told her about the gala, and that jerk Louis, and the plan to fake date to get him to back off. Then Isabelle asked how living with Kurt was going. Next thing he knew he had spilled everything to her. The fight, telling Kurt about his OCD, and the way he used Kurt’s sewing to calm himself. When his ramblings were done, she laughed and said, “Sounds like little Sebby’s in love!”

“Not even. Kurt and I are just friends. Two gay men can be friends and live together without wanting to bang.” Sebastian’s voice was full of defensiveness.

“True, but most people who are just friends don’t notice lip biting and nimble fingers.” Isabelle teased. Sebastian changed the subject and got Isabelle talking about her work. But he was no longer fully listening. 

When they hung up an hour later, Sebastian lay in bed, thinking. Did he like Kurt? As he heard Kurt start working in his office, Seb closed his eyes. He pictured Kurt and tried to think as if they had just met. Sebastian could admit that Kurt was attractive. Not effeminate, like he used to think, but more pixie-like. And his voice wasn’t so bad, as long as he wasn’t angry and it was too high-pitched to understand. And there was no denying that Kurt's body was amazing. He had hips made for holding on to. 

Sebastian was willing to admit Kurt was good looking, but that didn’t mean he had feelings for him. That would be ridiculous. Kurt was funny and incredibly caring, they had a lot in common and Sebastian liked the time they spent together. But they were friends, those are all completely platonic things. So what if he spent that whole gala wanting to touch Kurt, and hold his hand? And so what if he wanted to punch that Louis kid in the face for even looking at Kurt? Friends can be affectionate and protective of other friends. And maybe when Kurt looked at him he felt an overwhelming warmth that he had never really felt before, and his heart raced, and time seemed to slow down. But those were also perfectly normal things. He had anxiety, Kurt calmed him down. Kurt calmed him down in ways no therapy or pill ever could. And it was normal to think about your friend every second of every day, right? It must be. Kurt’s his best friend and that was normal. Kurt is his best friend with perfect lips and a laugh that brightens even the darkest of days. 

Suddenly Sebastain felt like he got hit with a tsunami of realization. “Shit!” He whispered. “I think I’m in love with Kurt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else feeling a little anxious? I'm anxious and I am writing the story. I literally know what happens and I'm nervous.


	7. Ups and Downs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically everything in italics is french except for one thought.
> 
> TW: OCD, Anxiety, mentions of cancer and death (no one in the story dies)

Kurt was sitting at his sewing machine, humming along to a song on his phone. The gala had been an interesting experience. He still couldn’t believe how good Sebastian was about pretending to like him. Although, anyone with half a brain could see that Louis was an ass, but Sebastian actually played the role of jealous boyfriend so well, even Kurt forgot it was all pretend for the evening. It was just so easy being around Sebastian, for him. They were friends and they coexisted, but now it seemed like a wall between them had been broken down. It was really nice. Kurt had planned to spend the whole day in his office, finishing up some new shirts for himself. He heard Sebastian talking on the phone to Isabelle for a moment that morning and figured he’d give them some privacy by putting on headphones. Around 10 am, Sebastian knocked on his door and asked if he could read his book in the room. This was a normal thing for them now. Sebastian said the noises of Kurt sewing and working was comforting. Kurt had read that many people with anxiety benefited from white noise machines or ASMR videos to calm themselves, so he never questioned it. For the most part, Sebastian was out of the way and quiet. Occasionally he would ask what Kurt was making or volunteer to help measure out a particularly long piece of fabric. But this time it was different. Sebastian seemed a bit off as he sat in the big comfy chair in his little corner. Kurt could tell there was a lot on his friend’s mind, but didn’t want to pry. But he was still very curious. 

“So how is Isabelle? I heard you got a call from her this morning. I tried to stay quiet with my headphones so you could talk.” Kurt said to break the tension.

“Hmm?” Sebastian looked up from the book in his hands. He wasn’t really reading, he hadn’t even pretended to turn a page in 10 minutes. “Oh, yea, she’s great. A little overwhelmed with her own fall launch but I guess last night her husband, you know Dan, surprised her with a puppy. She said it made her miss me, so she called as soon as it was a reasonable hour over here.”

“Aw, I should text her and tell her I want pictures! I love dogs.” Kurt bounced in his seat a little.

Sebastian smiled softly at Kurt’s enthusiasm. ‘ _Yep, totally in love with him_ ’ he thought.

Kurt stopped bouncing and looked wide eyed at Sebastian. “You what?!”

Sebastian realized that he had said his thoughts out loud. His face was bright red and he quickly stood to leave. “Uh nothing, bye.” And he rushed out the door and back to his room.

Kurt sat still for a moment. Did Sebastian just say he was in love with him? That couldn’t be. They were just friends and it’s Sebastian. And he’s Kurt. The once enemies who were kind of friends now. The same Sebastian who used to constantly list all the things about Kurt that he deemed unappealing. The same Sebastian that tried to sleep with Blaine. The same Sebastian who spent his days watching Kurt work or texting Kurt funny memes and crazy stories from work. The same Sebastian that spent the entire previous evening being affectionate and protective and kind and sweet and comforting. “Holy shit.” Kurt said to himself. Had the signs been there before? How long has Sebastian felt this way? And did he feel the same? Kurt thought back on their friendship, was Julianne right? Was their bickering just a form of foreplay to a romance? 

Kurt’s phone rang to break him from his spiraling thoughts. The number was one he didn’t recognize but he answered anyways. “ _Hello?_ ”

“ _Hello, is this Kurt Hummel? This is the office of Doctor Guille._ ”

Kurt vaguely knew the name and realized it was Sebastian’s psychiatrist. “ _Yes, this is him. How can I help you_?”

“ _Hello, I have you as the emergency contact of Sebastian Smythe. The doctor suggested I call you first with this news before Mr. Smythe in case he needed support_.”

“ _Okay…_ ” Kurt was getting nervous.

“ _There has been a break in at our offices. There were only some medication samples and a little petty cash taken. It seems all patient files are still intact, but we will be closing our physical offices for the duration of the investigation. All future appointments will be done via phone call or video chat until further notice. As this may affect the frequency of appointments, we ask emergency contacts to be prepared for possible regression._ ”

_“Oh my, thank you for the heads up. Is everyone ok?”_

“ _Yes, Sir. No one was on the premises during the break in. The police think it was an addict. I guess a few pharmacies were broken into as well. We apologise for any inconvenience, Mr. Hummel. Have a good day_.”

“ _You too. Bye._ ” Kurt hung up. All of his thoughts from before the call had disappeared. He quickly went to Sebastian’s room. As soon as he knocked, the door opened to show Sebastian on his phone, looking worried. 

“ _Yes, I understand... I will call them… I have a roommate… yes… okay, thank you Marie. Bye_.” Sebastian hung up and immediately fell to his bed. “I know they called you, too, Kurt.” 

Kurt tentatively walked over to Sebastian and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Seb, I’m here if you need me. I mean it. I can call Megan and tell her I’m working from home for a while. She’ll understand.” 

Sebastian just slowly nodded his head. He was still embarrassed by his earlier outburst and now this break in was stressing him out. “I have to call the pharmacy. They said there were more break ins.”

Kurt quietly sat himself at Sebastian’s desk. He was being very careful not to touch or move anything. The last thing he wanted was to stress him out any more. We watched as Sebastatian called his pharmacy, he watched as Sebastian’s face went pale, and he watched as Sebastian hung up and ran into the bathroom. He had left the door open in his haste and Kurt could hear him throwing up in the toilet. He slowly got up and went to check on his friend. “Seb, what do you need? I can get you water or a towel? Or I can just sit here with you?”

“They stole all of it, Kurt. My prescription and anything else they could give me instead. It’s gone. The pharmacist is calling around to other cities for any stock, but it’s gonna take a couple weeks, it seems. I only have enough to last me a few more days. I was going to call for a refill tomorrow. I’m screwed, Kurt.”

Kurt sat on the floor next to Sebastian. He handed him a small towel to wipe his face and let Sebastian rest his head on Kurt’s shoulder. “Sh, it’s going to be ok. Is it possible for you to take half a dose of your meds, for a while?”

“I can ask. I don’t see why not, but I might be a bit unbearable for a while.”

“Ok, maybe call out of work for a medical leave. I’m sure your doctor will vouch for you if you need proof. I’ll call Megan and tell her I need to work from home as much as possible. And I’ll call your mom and fill her in. Maybe she knows a pharmacy from all her travels that will ship quickly. And don’t worry about being unbearable. I’m well researched and I want to help you. I care about you and you're my friend.”

“Yea, friend...Look, Kurt, about earlier…”

“Let’s not worry about it right now. Lets focus on making you comfortable and hopefully finding a nice easy solution.” 

“Okay.” Sebastian let Kurt help him stand up and after Sebastian washed his face and brushed his teeth, Kurt told him to go call work and then lie down. Meanwhile Kurt cleaned the bathroom to Sebastian’s standards and called Julianne. After a moment of being horrified and outraged, she agreed to call around. 

“ _Sometimes Kurt, money solves everything, and when it comes to my son and his happiness, there's nothing I deem too expensive._ ”

Even with taking half a dose, Sebastian’s pills run out after a week. Julianne had yet to find a pharmacy willing to ship medication, regardless of doctor referral or money Julianne was willing to throw at them. While on a lower dose, Sebastian regressed slightly. He was a bit more neurotic about how organized things were. When he went to put a book back in the bookcase, he ended up taking all the books off and reorganizing them for over 3 hours. Kurt had bought paper plates and plastic utensils so that Sebastian wouldn’t feel stressed to wash dishes. Kurt did all the cooking as well, making sure to wash, dry, and put away all the pots and pans before Sebastian came out to eat.

This was nothing compared to Sebastian unmedicated. To help with the excessive hand washing, Kurt bought a ton of latex gloves for Sebastian. He also would have to check on him a few times during the night, as Sebastian was starting to have nightmares. Sebastian tried as many holistic remedies as possible. There was a diffuser in his room with calming essential oils. Kurt had taught him some yoga moves and his mother bought him guided meditation tapes. They helped but all the stillness started to wear on him. The most helpful method, he found, was still sitting in Kurt’s office, listening to him work, watching him move. Kurt seemed to never be upset or frustrated with Sebastian’s compulsions or episodes. 

“My mom had liver cancer when I was a kid. She was actually first diagnosed when my parents first got married and when she went into remission, they quickly started trying to have a baby, in case it ever came back.” Kurt explained one night as he calmly stroked Sebastian’s hair as he laid on Kurt’s lap. This became a usual thing for them, as it helped Sebastian fall asleep. “I was 5 when it happened. She was fine for a while, but after two years and two rounds of chemo, it wasn’t going away. It eventually spread to her lungs and ovaries, and the treatments were just making her sick. So the doctor said if they stopped treatment, she had 6 months to a year. After talking about it, my parents agreed it was better for her to go on her terms and no to spend her life being pumped with chemicals. She went off treatment, but they put her on some meds for the pain and fevers, just stuff to keep her comfortable. She became a different person. My mom, even when going through chemo, was funny and full of optimism. She sang all the time, and if she was up for it, she would dance with me in our family room. But when she was on those pills, she was tired all the time. And there was this sadness and anger. Until that point, I had never heard my mom yell, except while watching the Bucks with my dad,but one day she just screamed about everything. My dad calmed her down enough to get her to go lie down. I remember that day so vividly, I went to her room and asked her why she was mad at me. She pulled me close and explained she wasn’t mad at me, she was mad at herself. So I did the only thing my 7 year old self knew how to do. I hugged her and sang all her favorite songs to her as she fell asleep.” 

A tear rolled down Kurt’s cheek and landed on Sebastian's forehead. Kurt quickly wiped it off, but Sebastian reached up and took Kurt’s hand in his, placing it on Sebastian’s cheek. Kurt felt very comforted, but the motion held a tense air of intimacy as well. Kurt took a shaky breath and kept telling his story. “The last thing my mom really got to do before they moved her into hospice, was go to my 8th birthday. I only had two friends. I was pretty shy as a kid, grew out of that in middle school, though. So my parents had a barbeque in our backyard for my friends and their families. It was a bit sad since mom was in a wheelchair the entire time and had to go lie down after an hour, but I was so happy to have her celebrate for even that long. She moved to hospice the next week and she died a month later. My dad was a mess. We had some family come help cook and clean, but eventually it was just me and my dad. He’s not much of a cook, so eventually, I had to learn how if I wanted anything other than hot dogs or macaroni. I kind of took this caretaker role in our house. My dad was still the parent, but Burt Hummel is not a homemaker by any means.”

“Is that why you don’t seem to mind taking care of me?” Sebastian asked quietly.

“I guess. I just naturally want to nurture people I care about. I never really questioned why.”

Sebastian nodded his head and yawned. Kurt slipped out from under his head and tucked him in. “Goodnight Seb. I’ll leave my door open if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Kurt.” Sebastian said before completely falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to apologize now for the next chapter.....


	8. The Apex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: self harm, blood, suicidal thoughts  
> WARNING: there is a chunk of the story that is a bit intense. that section is indicated with "*****" at the start and finish.

After two weeks, there was still no luck in finding Sebastian his prescription. To say Sebastian was suffering, would be an understatement. He had panic attacks and some days would be afraid to leave his room because he couldn’t get it to look the way he needed it too. Sometimes Kurt could calm him and get him to stop and breathe, but other days he lashed out at him and wouldn’t let Kurt near him. Kurt would try to help and Sebastian would freak out about Kurt being in danger.

“Sebastian, I’m just trying to help you. Tell me what I can do?”

“No, you can’t help me. Everyone who tries to get close to me gets hurt. My grandpa died, Karofsky tried to kill himself, Blaine’s eye. I can’t lose you. Please leave me alone.”

These were the days Kurt couldn’t sleep. He knew it would pass, but when Sebastian was in a downward spiral, it scared him. Especially because on one of his better days, Sebastian asked him to hide sharp objects. Kurt bought a lockbox for all his scissors and pins in his office, another for the knives in the kitchen, and a third for razors and anything else in the bathrooms. Sebastian assured him it was unlikely he would do anything, but there was no guarantee what he would be like on a bad day. As a result, Sebastian stopped shaving and let his facial hair grow in. Not that it looked bad, but seeing someone Kurt thought was always so put together look so disheveled was heartbreaking. 

Kurt’s work was finalizing their next issue and he had reached a point where he had to actually go into the office. He decided a half day for the next 3 days would be enough if he worked double time while there. Julianne agreed to come in the mornings. The first couple days went by without incident, but on the 3rd day, Kurt could not get anything done fast enough. It seemed like all the interns thought going out last night and getting drunk was a good plan, because today they were so hungover, they worked at half speed. All except Louis, who said he was the designated driver and had nothing to drink. But there was too much work for just Kurt, Megan, and Louis to finish quickly. 

“ _ Julianne, I am so sorry. I can’t get out by Lunch. I might have to stay a couple more hours. _ ”   
  


_ “I have a show tonight, I need to be there in 20 minutes. Is there anyone else we can call? _ ”

In the background, Kurt heard Sebastian say “I can handle myself for a few hours. I’m not an infant.”

Kurt chewed his lip, “ _ Put him on the phone, please _ .”

Julianne handed Sebastian her phone and watched her son carefully. 

“Seb, are you sure? You’ve had a couple bad days recently.”

“Kurt, I’m fine. Everything dangerous is locked up. I already ate, so no need to worry about me in the kitchen. And honestly, I’m about to go lie down anyways so I’ll probably just sleep til you get home. Trust me.”

Kurt sighed. The whole thing left him uneasy, but he really didn’t have a choice. “Ok, but call me for anything. Even if it’s just to talk. I brought my hands-free, so I can work while on the phone.”

“Ok, Kurt. Thank you.”

Sebastian handed the phone back to his mother, “ _ You think this is a good idea? Leaving him alone?” _

_ “He seems confident that he can handle it. And we have no other real option.” _

“ _ If you say so, then I guess I’m ok with it _ .” Julianne said her goodbyes and went off to her show. She had a pit in her stomach, but as Kurt said, they had no choice.

Once Sebastian was alone, he was true to his word. He went and took a nap. Unfortunately, he was only asleep for an hour before he woke up. He had fallen asleep with his mouth open, so he went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. He figured he could watch tv until Kurt came home. Sebastian put his glass on the table with a coaster, used a sanitizing wipe to clean the remote and turned the tv on to some trashy reality show he knew could distract him for a couple more hours. About halfway into the first episode, he finished his water and went to rinse the glass in the sink. He quickly realized his mistake as he knew he would have issues washing a dish.

*****

As much as Sebastian tried to wash the glass quickly and put it away, he couldn’t. Once he washed and rinsed the glass, he had to wash his hands before touching the clean glass. But then he noticed the dirty water from washing his hands had touched the glass, so he had to wash the glass again. This cycle went for about twenty minutes. Sebastian’s hands were raw and red, but he finally felt like both his hands and the glass were clean. But by this point, he was so frustrated and upset with himself that when he went to grab the glass to put it away, his impulse control completely gave out and he smashed the glass on the floor. In anger, Sebastian bent to clean the broken glass up with his bare hands. When he snapped to reality, it was too late. He was gripping fists full of glass shards and blood was dripping on the floor. He quickly tossed the glass into the sink and rushed to the bathroom to get the smaller pieces from where they stuck in his hands, stepping on more broken glass on the floor. In the bathroom, he took Kurt’s tweezers and painfully removed the glass from his hands and feet. He had blood all over his arms, but this point, so he figured a shower was better than trying to just wash in the sink. He took all his clothes and threw them away. He knew he could never wear them again knowing they had ever had blood on them. Sebastian got in the shower, turning the water so hot, he may have a sunburn after. Some of the deeper cuts on his hands were still bleeding and Sebastian started to rub at them, like as if he could wash the blood out from deep inside his skin. 

Sebastian felt so frustrated with himself. He knew better. He told Kurt he would be ok. He fell to the floor of the shower and curled into a fetal position. He lied to Kurt. Kurt hates being lied to and he lied to him. Sebastian burst into tears and started to hit himself in the side of the head. This irritated the cuts on his hands even more. He hated himself. He was such a burden on everyone that they had to babysit him all the time. He was just making everyone’s life worse and they didn’t need him. Sebastian started hitting his head on the shower wall. After a few particularly hard hits, he fell dizzy and blood started falling down his forehead into his eyes. One more hit, and everything went black.

Kurt walked into the condo 3 hours after he had spoken to Sebastian. At first he was relieved to see that Sebastian wasn’t awake, but then he noticed the tv was on and the shower was running. It was strange for Sebastian to leave something on if he wasn’t going to be in the room. As Kurt walked further into the home, he saw the broken glass on the floor and a trail of blood leading to the bathroom. In a panic, he quickly rushed to the bathroom. Opening the door he saw the blood and glass in the sink and blood leading to the shower. “Sorry Seb, I’m coming in.” He opened the shower curtain to see Sebastian passed out on the floor, his head and hands still bleeding. 

*****

Kurt placed a shaky hand on Sebastian’s pulse and sighed in slight relief to feel he was still alive. He turned the water off and quickly called the EMTs. Once the ambulance showed up and they were loaded inside, he braced himself to call Julianne.


	9. The Basket(case)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise it wont be sad forever!

Kurt paced the waiting room. Sebastian was immediately rushed to the ICU when the ambulance arrived, but they wouldn’t let him see him yet. Julianne had met them at the hospital, adorned with pins and tape and clips. She had dropped everything at her fashion show and left her assistant in charge. The receptionist let her back but wouldn’t let her take Kurt with her. After a moment, Kurt sighed, roaming charges were nothing to him right now. He needed his dad. Kurt wasn’t even sure what time it was, but he knew Burt never let him go to voicemail unless he was going to the bathroom or something. 

“Hey Bud, to what do I owe this surprise?” Burt’s voice answered on the second ring.

“Sebastian’s hurt.” Kurt blurted out, falling into a chair and crying. “We had to leave him alone for a couple hours. I was stuck at work, and he cut himself on broken glass and hit his head and I’m scared. They wont let me see him. I should never have left him alone.”

“Whoa, back up. Why isn’t Sebastian allowed to be alone? What happened. Slow down, son. Breathe.”

Kurt then went on to explain Sebastian’s anxiety and OCD, the break-in, and the downward spiral Sebastian was on. He explained how he had been working from home to take care of him and that today he couldn’t get out in time to relieve Julianne and coming home to find him on the ground. “I can’t lose him, Dad, he’s my friend and I just feel so guilty.”

“Kurt, you listen to me. None of this is your fault. It sounds to me that you are doing an amazing job helping Sebastian and what happened may have happened if you were there or not, it is probably just an accident. You can’t beat yourself up about this, okay?”

“Thanks, I just got so scared when I saw all the blood and found him in the bathroom. In the ambulance I was having all these flashbacks of seeing Mom all hooked up to machines and then you when you got sick. It’s all very overwhelming.”

“I can imagine it would be. Can I ask you something, Kurt? This Sebastian, kid, is he maybe more than a friend?”

“Dad!”

“I’m just asking because the way you sounded just now, it was just like me when your mom first got sick. It’s heartbreaking to watch someone you love suffer.”

“Honestly, I don’t know. He kind of told me he’s in love with me, but I think it wasn’t meant to be said out loud. I don’t know how I feel. I really like being around him, he makes me feel good about myself, and when he first tried to warn me about his compulsions, it wasn’t scary to me. It was as if I was more compelled to take care of him. I mean, it’s nothing like how I felt with Blaine. And I know I was in love with Blaine.”

“There are a lot of ways to feel love, Kurt. The way I feel about Carole is very different from how I felt for your mom, but that doesn't mean I’m more in love with one than the other. But when I fell for your mom I was 16 and had a different viewpoint of the world and myself. Then after living through experiences with your mom, our love evolved. When she died, I still had continued to change as a person, so when I met Carole, my perspective on life had changed. And the way I fell in love changed too. The same could be said for you and Blaine’s relationship and how you may or may not feel about Sebastian. It’s not my place to say if you love him, but I can tell to try not to compare it to Blaine. You’ll never find real happiness that way.”

Kurt smiled at his phone. His dad always was able to calm him down and give him a little perspective. “Thank you, Dad. I love you very much. And I really miss you guys.”

“Well, the shop is doing pretty well, we got a couple new guys, so I might be able to take a little time off once things calm down over there. I know Finn and Carole would love to see you, too.”

“Just let me know. I can plan some touristy stuff for us. I’ve been here for months and I still haven’t explored anything.”

“Oh, and Kurt. I know you don’t really care for all the God stuff, but I’m still gonna ask the big guy to watch out for you and Sebastian. I’m sure he’s fine. I love you kiddo.”

“I love you, too.” Kurt hung up the phone and leaned his head back in the chair. He let the tears fall down the sides of his face.

“Kurt, Darling.” Julianne’s voice startled him.

Kurt looked at her, he was taken aback by the solemn look on her face. She was always a vibrant person. He started to feel panic again, “Is he okay?”

“Yes, mostly. They got the swelling down and sewed him back up. He’s sedated, but you can go see him, if you’d like.” 

Kurt followed Julianne back into the ICU to a private room. As he walked in, it was all he could do to not burst into sobs as he took in Sebastian’s appearance. His hands and feet were heavily bandaged and his head was wrapped in gauze. His face, in stark contrast, was peaceful and softened. Kurt stood at the base of his bed and his eyes caught the medical chart hooked to the end. The words ‘SUICIDE WATCH’ were clearly printed at the top. Kurt moved away from the chart and moved to the side of Sebastain’s bed. He silently pulled the chair closer, placed his hand, lightly on Sebastian’s arm, and laid his head down on the mattress pad. 

Meanwhile, Louis was sitting in his apartment, on his laptop. Kurt and Sebastian had relatively strong privacy settings, but Kurt’s brother did not. Louis was able to find Finn’s friends list and found only one Blaine. This had to be Kurt’s ex. Blaine also left most of his profile public and Louis was able to dig through hundreds of photos. Pictures of Kurt at the beach, at amusement parks, at school,etc. He watched a couple videos of show choir performances, but nothing useful had come of it. Eventually, he stumbled upon a photo of Blaine wearing an eye patch and a caption reading ‘Sebastian Smythe is a dick’. Digging through the comments, Louis found out that Sebastian had attacked Kurt with rock salt and Blaine jumped to the rescue. 

“Why would Kurt date someone who attacked him?” Louis asked out loud to himself. He looked further in the comments and got the entire sordid story. Sebastian trying to get with Blaine, fighting with Kurt, being just an all around bully to anyone. Louis cross-referenced this information with the copies he had of Sebastian’s therapy file. “So little Sebby gets a little crazy when his medication is messed with, good to know.”

Louis knows it was only a matter of time before something happened. Kurt was already working mostly from home and he left early every day this week. Louis knew he was rushing home to take care of poor, crazy, Sebastian. Which is precisely why he threw that party for all the interns. Louis had never been more relieved to come from money, his parents didn’t even blink an eye when he rented out the function room at a bar. He told everyone to get as drunk as they wanted at the open bar. Louis arranged for rides for them to get home and stayed sober himself. The next day, all the interns were hungover or sick and worked at half speed. Louis smirked as he listened to Kurt call to say he would be late. He knew this meant Sebastian would be alone for a while. What Louis didn’t plan was for Kurt to call Megan that night and take the next week off while Sebastian was in the hospital. He knew he had to act quickly. 

The next day, Louis arrived at Kurt’s condo with a giant gift basket. When Kurt opened the door, he seemed less than excited.  _ “Louis? How do you know where I live? _ ”

“ _ I’m sorry, I made Megan tell me. The interns wanted to give you this gift and it's far too expensive to mail something this heavy. I offered to deliver it. I hope you don’t mind. Can I at least come in to put it down _ ?”

“ _ No, I’ll just take it. Tell everyone I say thank you. _ ” Kurt grabbed the basket from Louis’ arms and slammed the door with his foot. 

Louis smirked as he walked back to the elevator. He pressed a button on his phone screen and a video feed of Kurt’s home came up. He had a feeling Kurt would never notice that the teddy bear in the basket was actually a nanny spy camera. With any hope, he can get some good footage. 

Kurt placed the basket on the table and finished getting his things together to visit the hospital. He would have to scold Megan another time for giving out his address to anyone. The doctor said Sebastian had only been sedated until the swelling went down and the stitches healed enough to do a second brain scan. Kurt wanted to make sure he was there when Sebastian got out. Just as he was about to go out the door, he looked at the gift basket, he quickly opened it and grabbed a few treats. He picked up the teddy bear, smiled, and placed it on the bookcase in an empty spot. It was a little too cutesy for his room and Sebastian wouldn’t like Kurt changing anything in his room. The bookcase was a good home for now. Kurt had unknowingly given Louis a view of the entire condo. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I can't do Burt's "Dad of the Universe" energy any justice, but dangit, I'm trying.
> 
> Cue the ominous countdown: 5


	10. Michael Smythe is Kind of a Dick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so time to meet Seb's dad.....he's....a lot.

Kurt was munching on the trail mix from the gift basket when they wheeled Sebastian back in the room. He had already been woken up and sent off to get his scans by the time Kurt had gotten there. Julianne assured him that he hadn’t missed anything. “ _ Bastian was so out of it when they came in here, he thought I was a purple unicorn. When he comes back, it will be better _ .” She also mentioned that they had been slowly introducing his medication back into his system and that the hospital was able to provide a two month supply once Sebastian was released and spoke to the on-site psychiatrist.

Kurt simply pouted and ate his snacks. He had always been a nervous eater. He knew it wasn’t a healthy coping mechanism, but he was active enough that it didn’t do too much damage. As he watched them wheel the bed back into the room, Kurt was on his feet. Sebastian was still pretty out of it.

“ _ This is a terrible roller coaster. _ ” He slurred out. When Sebastian saw Kurt standing there he gasped, “ _ Did I die? Is this heaven? Everything is white and a hot angel is staring at me.” _

Kurt blushed, “Like you would ever get into heaven, Seb.” He rolled his eyes and went to take his spot next to the hospital bed. Julianne laughed and took the opportunity to talk with the doctor in the hallway to give them some privacy. 

Sebastian squinted a little as his mind started to defog, “ _ Oh it’s Kurt. Kurt saved me. He’s my hero. _ I’m sorry I broke the glass. I’m sorry I lied that I could stay home alone.”

“Sh, it’s ok Seb. I’m just happy you’re okay.” Kurt placed a hand on Sebastian’s cheek. “You really had me worried.”

“Kurt, I just realized something.” Sebastian was very serious for a moment, then a small smile appeared on his face. “You saw me naked.”

Kurt’s ears went red, “I wasn’t looking, Seb, I had other priorities.”

“Oh, you looked. That’s why your face is so red, you definitely looked.” Sebastian’s grin took over his whole face, “It’s pretty great, right.”

“Sebastian Smythe, I will have you know that I am a man of honor and I was far too preoccupied with the fact you were bleeding and passed out. I did not have time to look at your...stuff.” Kurt was fully blushing at this point. He cursed his pale skin.

“Whatever you say, babe.” Sebastian looked up at the ceiling, “You know, if you ever want a second look, all you have to do it ask.”

“You’d do that for little ol’ me?” Kurt said sarcastically. He was happy to see Sebastian being his old self again. 

Sebastian looked at him, his eyes full of intention, “Hummel, I think we both know I would do anything for you.”

Kurt swallowed under the heavy implications of what Sebastian said. His dad was right, the way he felt about Sebastian was different than anything he felt for Blaine. Looking back, he always thought Sebastian was attractive. That’s why it bothered him so much that Blaine was so close to him. How could Blaine want someone like Kurt when someone like Sebastian was giving you attention? Now that he’s older, his confidence was higher, but Sebastian only got better looking. And Kurt would never admit it, but the facial hair was actually very hot on him. And Sebastian was more than his looks, he was extremely smart and he was funny. He had this way about him that knew when to be sarcastic and sassy, but he would turn it off if he needed to be kind and caring. Kurt also noticed that Sebastian was a huge nerd. His love of fantasy and science fiction novels is only overpowered by his love of Indie films. And when Sebastian would talk about any of these things, he lit up like a christmas tree and would talk a mile a minute, a stark contrast to his usual quiet self. Kurt loved these moments, when Sebastian was his true authentic self and was so passionate about something. He could sit there and listen to Sebastian talk about the different realms and worlds of whatever book he was currently reading for hours. And Sebastian would return the favor by listening to Kurt ramble on and on about fashion trends and his crazy coworkers. Kurt’s favorite moments were the quiet ones, though. Whether it was them sitting together in his office while he sewed and Sebastian read, them bundled up on the couch watching whatever film they could agree on, or when they would just sit at a table eating together. Those moments, those domestic moments, that made Kurt feel more intimate with Sebastian then he ever felt with Blaine. And another thing Kurt would refuse to admit, he did happen to peek at Sebastian’s body while he was waiting for the ambulance. He knew it was inappropriate given the circumstances but he was curious. From Kurt’s brief glance, he knew that Sebastian had every right to be that confident. He felt immediately guilty for looking, though. Once Kurt got to thinking about seeing Sebastian in the shower, his mind went to all the horrible feelings he had finding him on the ground. Kurt didn’t realize that he had been just staring at Sebastian while his thoughts swam in his head. 

“Kurt, babe. If you keep looking at me like that, I’m gonna get a bit creeped out.” Sebastian laughed quietly, when he glanced over at kurt though, he saw his eyes were watery. “Oh no, no, what's wrong?”

Kurt shook his head, “No, it's just, I came so close to losing you and I’m just a little emotionally overwhelmed.”

“Well, you didn’t lose me.” Sebastian moved as best he could to hold Kurt’s hand. “Kurt, I really am sorry. I knew I wasn’t in a position to be left alone, or even if I was, I should have used a disposable cup for water instead of a glass one. I never wanted to make you worry about me. I care too damn much about you to see you hurt, like this.”

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t break into pharmacies and steal drugs, you didn’t stop any transports of medications, you didn’t make my interns so useless and force me to stay late at work. And who’s to say any of that mattered. Hell, we could get hit with a bus tomorrow and that’s it. I am tired of obsessing over the ‘what could happen’ and the ‘what already happened’. I want to focus on the moment. This moment, right now. You and me… holding hands.”

Sebastian smiled softly, gently squeezing Kurt's hand as best he could with his bandages, “This is nice.”

Kurt nodded, “Yes it is. And so is this.” Kurt didn’t think twice as he stood up and placed his lips on Sebastian’s. The kiss was slow and full of emotion. It was probably the best kiss Kurt has ever had.

A clearing of a throat on the other side of the room caused them to pull apart. Kurt turned to see Julianne, smiling at them knowingly, and a tall, very serious looking man seeming none-to-pleased with what he walked in on. After noting a few similarities, Kut had a feeling he knew who the man was, only to have it confirmed a moment later.

“Dad?” Sebastian sat up in his bed a bit. “What are you doing here?”

“Will someone explain to me why every time you come to this god-forsaken country, you end up having a mental breakdown?” Sebastian’s dad asked, no real emotion in his tone. 

Before Sebastian or Julianne could respond, Kurt stepped up. “That’s not really fair, sir. Sebastian has a mental illness that impacted his life in the US just as much as France.”

“Sebastian, are you going to let your little...friend… talk to your father in such a way. Didn’t I send you to Dalton, where are your manners, son?”

Sebastian was once again cut off by Kurt, “Actually, I also went to Dalton. And one of their core values is brotherhood. And as a Dalton Man, I will not stand idly by and have you coming in here so aggressively towards a fellow Dalton Man. I also am the son of a Congressmen, your Congressmen, so suggest you show some respect.”

“Are you Hummel or Marsden?”

“Hummel.”

Sebastian’s father scoffed, “A blue collar vote, how adorable. Now Mr. Dalton Man Hummel, I would like to have a private conversation with my son and his mother. I would much rather his guard bitch watch outside.”

“Fine.” Kurt stood to leave, but Sebastian was still holding his hand.

“Kurt, you don’t have to go.”

Kurt kissed Sebastian’s cheek, “It’s fine. I’ll be right outside the door. I want to check in with my dad and work anyways.” 

Kurt first called his dad to give him an update on Sebastian waking up and acting like his old self again. He left out the part about their kiss. He really wanted to have a talk with Sebastian before shouting out about it. He then called Megan at work saying he should be back in a few days. 

“No problem, Love. I hope your boyfriend is feeling better.”

“Meg, I told you, he isn’t my boyfriend, he’s my roommate and friend.”

“Kurt, darling, I’m married and I wouldn’t drop everything for my husband the way you are for your ‘just friend’. Maybe it's an English thing, we aren’t really the warm, sentimental type, but you can’t honestly say there isn’t a lot more going on there. But I guess it’s really none of my business.” Kurt could hear the smirk on her face. 

“Sure, sure. Oh and Meg?” Kurt figured he would get things out of the way, “I appreciate that the interns wanted to do something nice, but I really wish you didn’t give Louis my address. Him being at my door this morning was not a welcome site.”

“First, I didn't know the interns did anything other than complain and get in my way. Second, I certainly did not give anyone your address, it's against company policy to share private information. And even if it wasn’t Louis is kind of creepy, so it goes against my better judgement to tell him your address. If he had it, it wasn’t from me.” 

“Oh, maybe I misheard him. It’s been a crazy day. I’ll talk with you later, okay?”

“Of course, Love. Cheers.” Megan hung up quickly.

Kurt was very confused, he could have sworn Louis said Megan gave him the address. Before Kurt could truly dwell on it, he heard a muffled argument breakout in Sebastian’s room. A second later, Julianne came storming out, followed by her ex-husband. In the hall, she kept her voice hushed. “Michael if you so much as try this, I will fry you and eat you like a crepe!”

“Julianne, he is 21 and he can’t be left alone. This place is not working for him.”

“He had one incident under extreme circumstances, that doesn't mean you can just...I can’t even say it. I need air.” Julianne stormed to the elevator. Kurt had never seen the woman angry before, it was quite off putting.

Michael Smythe seemed to notice Kurt’s presence then, “Kurt, is it?”

“Michael, is it?” Kurt did not like this man. 

“Listen kid, I don’t know what your situation with my son is and honestly I don’t want to know, but you will show me respect as your elder.”

“My father taught me that respect is given when respect is received. From the moment you looked at me, you made up your mind about who I am and what I am about. You have probably never even heard of me before this day, but I heard a lot about you. You sent your son away for being gay and stopped him from seeing the one person in your family that cared about him. And when he lost that person, you didn’t even let him grieve. All because, what, your flavor of the week wife said ‘god hates fags’. Then years later you pretend to give a shit because your new wife was considerably less horrible, but still leave your son to his own devices in a school where he had no one and no support system. I mean before today, when was the last time you even saw your son? Or spoke to him? I live with Sebastian and I have never once heard him talk to you on the phone. And with the exception of one brief mention in high school and when he told me about his anxiety, I never heard him even mention you. My mother died when I was 8 and I still talk about her constantly. How bad of a father do you have to be to be less mentionable then someone who has been dead for 14 years?” 

“You watch your tone with me you-”

“And another thing, Sebastian being in France has nothing to do with what happened. Especially since what fucked him up in the first place all happened in Ohio under your watch. I love Sebastian and I will be damned if I let you come in here and try and act like you give a shit, when it’s been me and Julianne who have been working our asses off to take care of him while he was going through it and you have been sitting in Ohio with wife number who-knows acting like you don’t even have a son. So excuse me if I don’t watch my tone when I say you can go fuck yourself.”

With that Kurt let himself back into Sebastian’s room. Once the door was closed he let out a huge breath. It had been a while since he called someone out like that. “You okay, Kurt?”

Sebastian was fully sitting up. His eyes were red and his face was flush, as if he were crying. Kurt went over to him and kissed him again. “I’m fine. Why do you look like you’ve been crying?”

Looking away, Sebastian said, “My dad wants me to go to a facility back in the states. Mom was fighting with him saying I don’t need to go to a crazy people hospital. I don’t want to go, I don't want to leave you.”

Kurt was livid, this was what Julianne was so mad about. “He what? Ok, now I don’t feel bad about telling him off out there. I mean, I just did it for him being a dick, but now…”

“You told of my father?” Sebastian smiled. “Is that why you looked all fiery and sexy when you walked in here? You know I have always thought you were hot when you were mad.”

“Seb, please.” Kurt blushed, “You’re in a hospital, how can you flirt at a time like this?”

“Because I could have died. I could have hemorrhaged or something instead of just a big cut and bruise. Could have died without showing you and telling you how I feel. But now I can. Kurt, I honestly, truly, completely am in love with you. And I understand if you aren’t there yet, or if all this kissing is just because I almost died, but I’m not gonna sit here and pretend that I don’t love you.”

“Seb, almost losing you helped me realize how much I love being around you. I care about you so much and everything I feel towards you is so different from what I had with Blaine. I’m not entirely sure what it means, but I may have just told your dad that I love you while I was yelling at him. So you don’t have to worry about the feelings not being reciprocated… because they are.” Kurt took Sebastian’s hand.

“Babe, do you have any idea how happy that makes me?” Sebastian’s grin faltered. “Except now I have to get shipped off to America to go to the nut house.”

“Sebastian Richard Smythe, you are a full ass adult. Your parents can’t make you do anything. If you don’t want to go, don’t!”

“But, he’s kind of right. I can’t really take care of myself. What if I run out of meds again? I can’t force you and my mom to babysit me the rest of your lives. You both have very time consuming jobs.”

“If you find yourself unmedicated again, we’ll figure it out. But Sebastian, you are not crazy, well at least not the kind of crazy that needs to be locked in a hospital. You’re like a regular crazy. Crazy funny, crazy smart, crazy hot.”

“I am crazy hot…”

“Look, Seb, I can’t tell you what to do. But neither can your dad. If you think you need to go, then go, if not, then stay. It’s your choice. If you want, talk it over with the psychiatrist when he gets here. But promise me one thing.”

“Any thing.”

“If you do go, don’t do it because you think you're a burden on me or your mom or anyone. You’re not. We love you and people take care of those they love. And don’t stay because of me either. Make a decision of what is best for you and your health. Everything else will fall into place accordingly. Promise?”

“Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hoo boy this took a while to write. Not even because I planned so much, just once I started it just ran away with me. I had to adjust the chapter timeline a little, but we still are looking at 20 chapters total and the OMINOUS COUNTDOWN is still in tact....for now.....*evil laugh* 
> 
> jk, it's not evil laugh inducing. anyways....
> 
> ~~5~~ 4


	11. I Will Sing No Requiem pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's happening.....ITS HAPPENING!!!!!!

Michael Smythe was still in Paris, still trying to convince Sebastian and Julianne that the facility in the US was a better option for everyone. Sebastian said he wanted to talk it over with his doctor first. Julianne still refused to speak about it. Kurt had called her after the initial argument and asked why she had married that man in the first place.

“ _ He wasn’t always like that. He comes from such a nice family, but Michael is stubborn, and it gets worse as he gets older. I, as you know, am a bit of a free spirit. I’m French, we do not stress. I was traveling and starting my fashion line, and when I became pregnant with my darling boy, I wanted to take him all over the world. It is how I was raised, and Isabelle, and I believe we turned out great. But Michael did not want his son to be a ‘gypsy’, as he put it, and refused to let me take him anywhere. Suddenly everything I did made me a bad mother. We fought a lot, and I have never been built for such things. So I filed for divorce. But since Michael is an attorney, he had a better divorce lawyer than me and he got custody of Sebastian. He said my lifestyle was too unstable. Funny he says that when he is on his 5th wife. Sebastian spent some holidays and a few weeks in summers with me, whenever I was at the time. But when I decided to move permanently back to France, it was a month before Michael sent him here to stay _ .”

“ _ He still seems like a world class asshole _ .” Kurt laughed.

“ _ Oh he is, but deep down, he is just insecure. I do not think he ever got a chance to figure out who he is or who he could be. He comes from ‘old money’ and there was a sort of pressure to be something important and add to the family fortune. A doctor, a lawyer, something of the sort. His father was an engineer for NASA, and he was just as insufferable until he retired after Bastian was born. It was like he only really knew happiness when he became a grandfather. Could you imagine? Not knowing happiness until you are in your 60s? Such a pity _ .”

“ _ Julianne, may I ask you a question? _ ”

_ “Of course my dear.” _

“ _ Why did you keep his last name _ ?”

“ _ I wanted the same last name as my son. I have 2 brothers and tons of male cousins, the Bouvier name is secure. _ ”

Kurt thought about Carole. She had legally hyphenated her name, but still went by ‘Hudson’ as much as possible. He figured she does it for Finn, just as Julianne does for Sebastian.

_ “I can not wait for you to meet my step-mom _ .” Kurt said with a smile, “ _ I think you two have a lot in common. Although, you would have to speak English the entire time. As much as she tries, I think French is a bit too hard for her to really grasp. _ ”

_ “I can not wait to meet my future in-laws. _ ” Julianne said with a laugh.

“ _ Will you stop trying to marry your son and I? _ ” Kurt feigned annoyance, he didn’t mind when Julianne teased.

“ _ I don’t know, I did see all the kissing and hand holding. I told you that it was inevitable. _ ” 

Kurt sighed,  _ “I mean, we did talk about how we feel about each other, but until we know what is happening with his treatment, I don’t want to start something. I can’t handle long distance, I’m far too clingy. _ ” Kurt tried to crack jokes about Sebastian leaving to keep the mood light, but in reality, he was worried. They hadn’t lived together long, but Kurt couldn’t imagine life without Sebastian being around. 

“ _ Everything will be fine. I will not let that ass take my son away and have him locked up in one of those terrible places _ .”

“ _ Let us hope _ .” Kurt smiled softly, as he and Julianne said their goodbyes. 

Sebastian had his psych-evaluation the next morning, he wasn’t considered a threat to himself and was released from the hospital. The doctor insured Sebastian that he didn’t believe Sebastian needed institutionalization, but Sebastian wanted to talk to his usual doctor about it first. The criminal case on the break in was closed while Sebastian was in the hospital. They had found a homeless man hoarding drugs he claimed to have found in a dumpster, but he had a record and the cops still arrested him. With the case closed and new security measures installed, Sebastian’s psychiatrist’s office was back open for in-person appointments. Sebastian had to wait a few days for an appointment, but the hospital had been able to refill his prescription, so there wasn’t as much of a rush for the in-person session, but Sebastian did ask over the phone about him going to a facility. Doctor Guille told him that outside of this recent unusual circumstance, Sebastian was a functioning, capable adult. He also said that things won't be as extreme for Sebastian for the rest of his life. 

“ _ Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is ever changing, especially when it is trauma based. Often as patients get older and learn to face and deal with past trauma and triggers, they are less compelled to do their compulsions. We are breaching the surface of your past, and I believe that once we break through, you can continue to live a normal, happy life. We may even be able to lower your medication dose, as well. You do not need to be in a hospital for this help, but ultimately the choice is yours. If you feel safer there, then I can help you and your father find the right fit. I don’t know much of the services in the US, but I am always here to help you, Sebastian _ .”

“ _ Thank you, Dr. Guille _ .” Sebastian hung up and fell onto the couch with a sigh.

“How did it go?” Kurt tried to give Sebastian as much privacy as possible during Sebastian’s half-hour session by staying in his office with headphones. When the clock turned 2:30, he went to check in.

“He said it’s up to me, but he thinks I’m fine without it. I don’t want to go, but I can’t stop that little voice in my head reminding me about what happened the other day.”

Kurt sat next to him and let Sebastian lay his head in his lap. Kurt started to run his fingers through Sebastian’s hair, like he had done before to help him sleep. “Look, I can’t tell you how to feel, but I encourage you to let the words that I, your mom, your doctor, and the hospital have told you drown out that little voice. What happened was a freak occurrence. You have been able to go without a babysitter for years because you had the resources to do so. And now you have that all again. I believe in you and I trust you.”

Sebastian took the hand stroking his hair in his and kissed Kurt’s fingers before replacing them on top of his head. In a beat of comfortable silence, Sebastian glanced over at the bookcase, seeing a large teddy bear and a half-empty basket on a shelf. “Kurt? What is that?”

Kurt glanced in the direction Sebastion was looking. “Oh, that. The interns sent a little care package while you were in the hospital. They don’t really know what happened, just that I had a family emergency. Megan knows you had an accident, but nothing really else. I ate half the treats, but I left everything I knew you would like.”

“The bear too?”

“Yea, I didn’t know if you would want it in your room or not.”

“It’s kind of creepy. I can’t really figure it out, but I definitely do not want it in my room. It’s staring into my soul.” Sebastian glared at the bear. Something was off about it but he could quite figure out why. 

“I can put it in my room, or we can toss it. I’m not attached to it.” Kurt said with a shrug. 

“I say toss it, or donate it.” Sebastian said as he got up to take a look at any other goodies in the basket. Kurt went over and took the bear and put it next to his messenger bag. 

“We’ll bring it to a donation place on the way to work tomorrow. I’m very excited you’re coming with me! I can’t wait for you to see the place.”

Sebastian was technically fine to stay alone, but he asked Kurt if he could go to work with him. He figured it would be much less hectic than his mother’s studio and he was kind of hoping to score some free treats Kurt said they always had around. Granted, with it being a fashion magazine, everyone always seemed to be on a diet and the treats often went to the mailroom staff or a shelter. He was excited to see Kurt in his element as well. It was nice sitting in the home office and watching Kurt work, but he wanted to see Kurt in action at the magazine. When Sebastian wasn’t able to take his medication, he had a rough time remembering to eat, but now that he was back on them, he was a very hungry man. Although, he always had a big sweet tooth. While digging through the remaining gift basket snacks, there was a little box with a small bit of cake. Sebastian tore it open and ate it in two bites. “This is so good! I might need to start working out again. I don’t know how much longer my metabolism can keep up with my eating habits.”

Kurt smiled as he watched Sebastian tear open another snack, “I don’t know. You may be able to rock the dad bod look. And speaking of your looks, when you're done eating, let’s trim and shape your beard. You look good with facial hair, but also a little homeless.”

“I’m a sexy hobo, and you know it.”

“Sure.” Kurt laughed as he went to get the tools he needed. Maybe he could talk Sebastian into a haircut as well.

The next morning Sebastian let Kurt pick his clothes and fix his hair, making him worthy of hanging out at a fashion magazine for the day. On the way to the office, they stopped at a donation place to get rid of the bear, as well as some clothes that they no longer wanted. The clerk looked the clothing over and accepted it without question. When he got the bear he looked at the two men infront of him, “ _ I hope you remembered to upload the videos onto a secondary device. Or did you use the closed-circuit feature _ ?”

Kurt and Sebastian were confused. “ _ I’m sorry, what? _ ” 

The clerk looked at him again, “ _ This bear, it is to spy on an au pair, no? It has a camera in the eye. My wife and I have one just like it _ .”

Kurt grabbed the bear and looked at it closely, sure enough he saw the small lens of a surveillance camera looking back at him. In fear he dropped the bear to the ground. Sebastian grabbed onto Kurt. “ _ Sir, Can you please call the police? That bear was gifted to us, we don’t have any children _ .” 

Ten minutes later an officer was placing the bear into an evidence bag while another was talking to a very scared Kurt and Sebastian. “ _ Now, gentlemen, can you tell me what happened here? _ ”

Kurt was shaking, far too upset to remember to speak in French for the police officer. “He’s been watching me for days.”

“Babe, how do you know who it was? You said the interns sent it.”

“Louis brought it to the house. He said Megan gave him the address, but she said she never did. I wasn’t going to tell you after everything going on, I thought it would be too much.”

The officer looked confused,  _ “I’m going to need a bit more information. _ ”

Sebastian calmly translated and retold the story of Louis hitting on Kurt at work. He also explained that he had just gone through a detox of sorts and was in the hospital for a few days.

As Sebastian spoke, something clicked in Kurt’s head. “He got the interns drunk. On the day I was late getting home, it was because all the interns except Louis were hungover. They moved so slow and it made me late to come home to you. He did it on purpose.”

Sebastian translated for the police officer once again and held Kurt closer. He needed to be strong for Kurt, even though he was barely keeping it together himself. The officer jotted notes down and asked if anything else happened that could be relevant.

Sebastian took a breath, “ _ I don’t know if it's relevant, but the detox I went through was for a high dose of anti-anxiety and antidepressants to treat OCD, but there was a break in at my doctors and a couple pharmacies of my prescription and any alternatives. The other pharmacies refused to fill the prescription for some reason. I ran out and started to regress and have terrible days. I couldn’t be left home alone but one day I was and I ended up spiraling and hurting myself. I know it’s crazy to think it has to do with this issue, but it is strange that it was specifically my prescription that went missing and my psychiatrist that was broken into. _ ” 

Kurt was fully sobbing at this point. How had he not noticed the connection? Why was Louis doing this to him? The officer took a bit more information down and told the boys to go back home. They sent an officer with them for security, while the rest went to Kurt’s work to take Louis in for questioning. Except when they got there, Louis was gone and no one knew where he went. It turns out that in the entire time the police were talking to Kurt and Sebatian, no one thought to turn the camera in the teddy bear off and Louis got a head start. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping later today or tomorrow for the next chapter. It was just getting too long so i shifted somethings around so i could at least get this much posted for you.
> 
> Ominous countdown: 3


	12. I Will Sing No Requiem pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a wild ride.....

Once Kurt and Sebastian walked in their front door, they both just dropped their stuff and went to the couch. Sebastian wasn’t even concerned that everything was out of its place, he was worried about Kurt. The police officer who escorted them home came in to do a perimeter check of the condo and deemed it all clear. He then went to the hallway to stand guard until the suspect was apprehended. 

“I can’t believe this is happening. Things were supposed to be getting better.” Kurt cried in Sebastian’s arms. He hadn’t been this scared about his own safety since high school when David Karofsky threatened his life. 

“Sh, Kurt it’s going to be ok. That prick will get arrested and it will be fine.Stalking is a federal offense in this country just as much as the US. It’s going to be fine.” Sebastian wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince, himself or Kurt. After a few minutes, Kurt calmed and fell asleep from exhaustion. Sebastian used the time to call his mom and give her an update. She was concerned but she knew there was very little she could do. She called the building manager and informed him of the stalking threat. He agreed to double security and if they had a photo of the stalker they can keep an eye out for him. 

With a deep breath, he called someone he knew would be of some help, even if Sebastian was not happy about it. He called his dad. Michael Smythe picked up on the first ring, “Sebastian, have you come to your senses, yet?”   
  


“Dad, this is kind of more important. Kurt and I are being stalked.”

“Are you sure this isn’t a delusion? You’re not exactly well, son.”

“It’s not a delusion, listen to me.” Sebastian started from the beginning, sparing no detail. He talked about his past with Kurt, the issue with Louis, the break ins and his detox, his mental breakdown, the feelings he had for Kurt, and the spy camera teddy bear. Sebastian told his dad everything. “This guy is the reason I had no medication, I just know it.”

Michael sighed, “What do you need from me? I can make some calls, I don’t know the process for a restraining order in France, but I can find out. I think I may have an in with the US Ambassador, as well.”

Sebastian was a bit taken aback by how helpful his father was trying to be. “Honestly, that would be great, Dad. Mom already called the building about increasing security. The cops went to Kurt’s work to arrest Louis, but we haven’t heard anything from them yet. Why are you suddenly so willing to support me?”

“Look, kid. I don’t really know much about all this mental health stuff, but I’ll be damned if anyone tries to mess with my son. No one messes with a Smythe and gets away with it.”

“Yea, unless it's another Smythe.” Sebastian said under his breath, but his dad heard him.

“What was that? Speak up son.”

“Dad, you just said no one messes with a Smythe, but you have continually messed with my head since I was a kid. And honestly, maybe it's how you were raised, thinking money and power were important virtues, but what’s important is showing the people you are closest to that you care about them. I mean, I’m 21 years old and I don’t even remember you once hugging me or telling me you love me. And during one of the hardest times of my life, losing Grandpa and figuring out my sexuality, you sent me away. You said horrible things to me and sent me away.”

“Well Maggie-”

“No, Dad, it was you. Maggie wasn’t my parent, neither was Paula, or Bea, or whomever. You are my dad, and you should have been there for me no matter what. And I am really appreciative of you trying to help now, but I can’t help but feel it's only because of my last name and not because you actually care.”

“If you don’t want my help-”

“Not if it’s only for status.”

Michael let out a deep breath, “I have some calls to make, Sebastian.” And with that he hung up. 

Sebastian, however, did not have time to be confused by his father’s response as there was a blaring cacophony of sirens starting outside their building. Kurt jolted awake and went to the window. As they peered out they saw 5 police cars, a firetruck, and an ambulance in front of the building. They also saw a crowd of people looking up and worriedly talking to each other. Without speaking, Kurt and Sebastian headed to Kurt’s room to head out onto his balcony. Once outside, they were able to see what the commotion was about. On the roof of their building stood Louis, looking like he was about to jump. There was only one floor above their condo, so he was 8 stories over the ground. Kurt screamed and Louis looked directly at them with a sickly smile on his face.

“ _ Louis, what are you doing? _ ” Kurt yelled. “ _ Are you crazy? _ ”

“ _ Real rich coming from you _ !” Louis yelled back. “ _ You want to see crazy? Look right next to you, there is some real crazy. Did your precious little boyfriend tell you what really happened to him when he went to that Dalton School in America? _ ”

“ _ Sir, we don’t want you to jump. We are sending a councillor up to speak with you _ .” a cop called over a megaphone. 

“ _ No _ !” Louis said,  _ “I want them to come up _ .” He pointed to Kurt and Sebastian. “ _ It’s those two or I jump.” _

“ _ We’ll go _ .” Sebastian yelled down. He gave Kurt a nod and they quickly grabbed their jackets and shoes and headed up to the building’s roof access. When they got outside, a police officer told them not to get too close or make any promises. They also gave them an open one-way radio to allow the officers below to listen in. The officer assured them that he was on the other side of the door if they needed help. 

Louis was facing the roof access door when they got there, “ _ Sebastian, I’m surprised you came up here. I thought you would love to get rid of m _ e.”

_ “I may hate everything about you, but I surely don’t want you to kill yourself. Why are you doing this? Because Kurt won't date you? _ ”

“ _ This goes so far beyond our little Kurt here. I don’t like to lose. I want something, I get it. I studied you, Kurt. I tried to be nice. But no matter how hard I tried to destroy you, Kurt just clings harder. Even though at the very beginning, Sebby here was hell bent on fucking your Disney prince boyfriend. Blaine, right?” _ Louis looked deranged. 

_ “That was years ago, why would I care about that? And even if it did matter, it didn’t happen. _ ” Kurt reasoned.

Sebastian stepped forward. “ _ You’re sick, Louis. You need help. I can give you the number of a few psychia-” _

_ “No! You come out on the ledge next to me _ .”

_ “We both know I’m not going to do that.” _

“ _ Do it or I jump. You just said you didn’t want me to. _ ” Louis was breathing heavy now.

“ _ Louis, I can’t come to the ledge, but I can talk to you over here. Just come to the center of the roof. We can talk this out.” _

_ “Why so scared, Smythe? Is it all too familiar to you?” _

“ _ Don’t _ .” Sebastian warned.

“What is he talking about?” Kurt was starting to get confused.

_ “Tell him, Sebastian. Tell him or I will. _ ”

Sebastian took a breath, “When I moved back to the states, I was in a bad place and I was feeling numb. My dad shipped me off to a boarding school instead of wanting me around. I was depressed, I went up to the roof of the dormitories, and I almost jumped. I stopped because Trent saw me go up there and got a faculty member. They grabbed me as I went to step off and pulled me to safety. Trent came up to me and kind of forced me to join the Warblers, something about friends making a person happy. But well, you know exactly how I was at that time. I didn’t really snap out of the fog until the Karofsky thing happened. The idea that I may have made someone feel as hopeless as I did...I needed to change.”

Kurt was stunned and quiet. Louis started laughing from his perch. “ _ See Kurt, he is a fucking mess. Do you really want to be with someone who has a history of hurting themselves over and over again?” _

_ “He’s getting help. And he has never done anything to harm another person intentionally. Sebastian has never stalked me, recorded my home, or committed a crime to hurt me or someone I love. You did all that. And it's really funny that you keep harping on Sebastian’s mental health when you’re the one on the ledge right now. _ ”

“ _ Fine _ .” Louis closed his eyes and started to lean back, Kurt ran forward, grabbed Louis’ arm and yanked him back from falling and off of the roof ledge. Before Kurt could step away, Louis swivelled around and held Kurt to his side. When Sebastian went to help, Louis pulled a knife out and held it to Kurt’s neck. “ _ One step closer and I slit his throat. _ ”

_ “Let me go, Louis _ !” Kurt tried to pull away, but Louis just held strong.

“ _ Uh uh, Kurty kins, you're not going anywhere. I was never going to jump, but like I said. I studied Kurt, I knew he would reach for me and give me an opportunity to hold him so close.” _ Louis said with a wicked smile as he rubbed the side of his face on Kurt’s. Kurt recoiled as much as he could.

“ _ What do you want, Louis? _ ” Sebastian asked, loudly, he knew that the radio was still on him and that the cops on the ground could hear the conversation. 

_ “What do I want? What do I want? I want you to jump, Sebastian. Finish what you started.” _

_ “No, I can’t.” _

_ “Do it or watch Kurt get sliced open.”  _

“No, dont!” Sebastian looked at Kurt who was shaking his head as much as he could, then he looked down over the ledge. After a beat, he turned back. “ _ Fine, I’ll jump. Just let Kurt go, first. Let him go inside. He doesn’t need to see this.” _

_ “Oh no no no, Kurt will just have to close his eyes, but he isn’t going anywhere. Kurt is my ticket out of this building without those cops hurting me. Now get on the ledge!”  _

Sebastian slowly climbed on to the ledge, the voices from the street fell into shocked silence. Sebastian looked down once again and nodded “Kurt, I love you and everything will be ok. I promise.”

Kurt tried to wrestle out of Louis' grip, but he couldn’t budge. “Sebastian don’t do this. Please!”

“Everything is ok, Kurt. Just remember what your favorite class at NYADA was and everything will be ok. You have to trust me, babe.” Sebastian looked into Kurt’s eyes and they shared a silent thought. “Now close your eyes.”

Kurt’s tear filled eyes closed. Louis looked between the two of them, “ _ What is he going on about? Your favorite class?” _

Sebastian used the distraction to fall backwards as a scream from the street rang through the air. 

“ _ What is your favorite class, Kurt?  _ Answer me!”

“Stage Combat.”

Kurt opened his eyes, rage filled his body as he raised his hands to Louis’ arm around him. Kurt said as he swiftly yanked Louis up and over his shoulder. Louis fell to the roof on his back. Kurt stepped on the wrist with the knife, causing Louis to let it go, and then twisted his body until Louis was trapped under Kurt’s knee unable to move. At that second, the roof door opened and 2 police officers came in to arrest Louis. They said for him to go to the apartment below them. Once he was able to, he got up and ran into the building. He ran as fast as he could to the 8th floor condo and into the bedroom directly below where they were on the roof. Sebastian was there holding an ice pack to his shoulder. Kurt looked and saw the mattresses on the balcony used to catch Sebastian. 

-2 minutes earlier-

Sebastian stood on the ledge, he looked down and saw that the family immediately under them had moved mattresses to their balcony. There was the cop that led them to the roof giving him a thumbs up. He had heard the exchange over the radio and quickly sprang into action. When Sebastian climbed up onto the ledge, the police in the street informed the bystanders to be silent. The officer on the balcony told the woman who lived there to scream once Sebastian jumped so that they couldn't hear him hit the mattress. 

Kurt was terrified but when he heard how calm Sebastian was, he knew he had a plan. When he heard Sebastian mention his favorite class at NYADA, he understood what Sebastian ment. A memory of him still showing Sebastian a fight move after a couple glasses of wine flashed in his head and he knew exactly what Sebastian was saying. So when he closed his eyes, Kurt took a moment to collect himself enough to pull the move on Louis. 

-present time-

Kurt ran to Sebastian and kissed him all over his face. “Oh my god, I am so happy you're ok.” 

Sebastian chuckled and wrapped his arms around Kurt, “I told you everything would be fine.” He kissed Kurt passionately. 

“ _ Sorry to interrupt, but we have some questions. _ ” A petite officer stood there, pen and paper in hand. 

“ _ Yes, maybe we should do this in our place. Let this amazing family get back to their lives _ .” Kurt blushed. He looked at the man and his wife,  _ “Thank you so much for helping save him. _ ”

The woman came over and gave both boys a big hug and wouldn’t let them leave without some of the bread she had baked that morning. Kurt and Sebastian headed down to their condo, with the officer in tow. While she interviewed them and got their statements, an EMT looked them over for any injuries. Sebastian’s shoulder would be sore from landing on it, but ultimately, both boys were fine. 

About ten minutes later, the police barricade was opened and Julianne and Michael Smythe came running through Kurt and Sebastian's front door. 

_ “Sebastian, Kurt, my darlings, are you ok? _ ” Julianne grabbed her son, looking him up and down and then doing the same with Kurt.

“We heard on the news, there was a jumper at the building and then we both rushed down here.” Michael explained before standing in front of his son, “What you did was brave, son. Braver than anything I have ever been able to do. I’m proud of you.” He pulled Sebastian into a tight hug. Sebastian froze for a moment before melting into his dad’s embrace. 

“Thank you, dad.”

Still holding on, as if trying to fit 20 years of hugs into one, “I am so sorry, Sebastian. I let you down as a father. Your mother did an amazing job with you and you have done so well for yourself.” Michael pulled back but still held Sebastian by the shoulders, “I never want you to doubt that I love you, Sebastian. I may be a stubborn old boar, but I do love you. And I want you to be happy.”

Sebastian wiped the tears forming in his eyes, “Honestly, for the first time in my life, maybe, I am happy. I’m truly happy. Because I have Kurt. He just gets me. And I know the gay thing is hard for you, but I love Kurt and I plan on keeping him around for as long as he’ll let me.”

Kurt smiled at Sebastian. Michael turned to Kurt, “What do you do for a living, young man?”

“I’m the Assistant Style Director for Petite Haute Couture Magazine and a contributing journalist for Vogue.com, Sir.”

“Your father is Burt Hummel?”

“Yes.”

“Good man, I don’t always agree with him, but a decent person. I apologize for my blue collar comment the other day. I was upset, and I took it out on you.”

Sebastian was shocked. He never heard his father apologize so much before.

“Do you love my son?”

Kurt smiled and looked at Sebastian, “God help me, but I do.”

Sebastian moved to hold Kurt close. “Dad, about this facility you want me to go to…”

“Forget it. You have more than proven that you can handle yourself. If you ever want to go, and it is your choice, I will support you. But you won’t hear another word of it from me.”

“Thank you.”

Kurt invited both Sebastian’s family to stay for dinner, which they ordered out for. When they were done eating, and after a few more hours of conversation, Julianne headed home and Michael returned to his hotel. Sebastian was yawning and Kurt suggested they head to bed. 

“The same bed?” Sebastian said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“If you can promise no funny business and we just sleep, then sure.” 

“Of course. I just want to be close to you.” Sebastian stood and stretched. Kurt got up and started to clean up, but Sebastian stopped him, “Babe, I’m tired, we can get it in the morning.”

Kurt decided not to press it and let Sebastian lead him to Kurt’s room. Sebastian always said that Kurt’s sheets were better than his, even though they were the same brand. Kurt lended Sebastian an old McKinley High T-shirt that was a little big on him, and they both got dressed to sleep. Once cuddled under the sheets, Sebastian laid his head on Kurt’s chest to let Kurt card his fingers through his hair. Within a few minutes they were both asleep with smiles on their faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ominous countdown: 2


	13. Aftermath (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hi...long time, no see. First of all, I want to apologize. Between my summer job ending and my fall semester starting, I was crazy busy. It doesn't help that I have some family stuff going on, right now too.   
> But I wanted to give an update. So here is the first half of what I was HOPING to have for this chapter.

Kurt woke up the next morning feeling a bit overheated. He looked down and saw Sebastian wrapped around him. As carefully as he could he tried to wiggle out of the embrace.

“Nope.” Sebastian mumbled as he held on tighter.

“Seb, I need to use the bathroom and peeing my pants is not really how I like to start my day.” Kurt said with a giggle. Sebastian let him loose and Kurt ran to his adjoined bathroom. When he was done, he also brushed his teeth and hopped in the shower. It was hard not to let his mind wander to the series of events over the last few months he had been in France and how he fell in love with Sebastian without noticing. They still had to talk about their relationship and what they were, but for now, Kurt was happy with just going with the flow. Given all the drama they just went through, it was nice to just let himself relax. 

Meanwhile, while Kurt was in his bathroom, Sebastian went to the other bathroom to get ready, himself. Sebastian was giddy. Most people would need a recovery period after going through what he and Kurt did the day before, but Sebastian was too happy after a night holding Kurt. It was definitely the most restful night of sleep he ever had. As he got in the shower, he glanced over at the timer on the counter. Usually he set it so he wouldn’t spend too long scrubbing and obsessing, but Sebastian felt good about the day and decided to just go without. He finished his shower in a reasonable amount of time and set to getting dressed for the day. He still wanted to see Kurt’s work. He wasn’t sure if Kurt would even want to go today, but he knew that Kurt hated taking this much time off and would probably still go in. 

Kurt was already in the kitchen when Sebastian walked in. Kurt poured them both some coffee and handed Sebastian the creamer. “Hey, I hope it's ok that I still go to work today. I just hate taking all this time away. I am the new guy still.”

Sebastian smiled and kissed Kurt on the cheek. “Fine by me, can I still come visit?”

“You still want to? Sebastian, I trust that you can be home alone.”

“I know but I love watching you work here, I want to see you in your element. I bet it’s super sexy.” Sebastian said with a wink. 

“I’ll text Megan from the rail to give her a heads up. I mean she already ok’d you coming yesterday.”

Megan was more than happy for Sebastian to come to the office. Kurt figured she wanted to see him in person after everything she heard about him from Kurt and after what she saw on the news regarding Louis; she had only gotten a quick glance of him at the gala while dancing with Kurt. Everyone at the magazine was a bit shaken up about it, but no one was fully surprised. Louis had made a lot of people uneasy, and now they knew why. Walking into the La Petite Couture headquarters was a bit odd for Kurt, he felt a lot of eyes on him. When Kurt was at NYADA, he always dreamed of one day being famous, but now that he was the center of a scandal, he was really happy he did not pursue acting after all. Sebastian was oblivious to their stares, however. He was too busy looking at everything he could. He was reminded of when he was little and visiting his mom at all these fun places. Everyone in fashion looked so effortlessly important to young Sebastian, while everyone at his dad’s firm seemed like they tried too hard to look important. Kurt led them to the Wardrobe. They stopped at the front office to see Megan. 

“Megan?” Kurt said as he knocked on the frame of the open door. “I just want to introduce you to Sebastian Smythe.”

Megan quickly got up and nodded her head at Sebastian, she often claimed to hate handshakes. “Nice to finally officially meet you, darling, Kurt here has not stopped blabbering on about you since I met him.” 

“I hope good things.” Sebastian said with a small laugh.

“Mostly.” Megan said with a quick wink. She then gave Kurt a giant hug, “And you, love, how are you doing, really?”

“I’m good.” Kurt nodded, “I just need to get back to my normal routine and not dwell on the trauma.”

Sebastian gave Kurt a concerned look but said nothing. Megan gave Kurt a rundown of what he had to do for the day and it didn’t seem too hectic, so Sebastian wasn’t concerned about being in the way. Kurt led him through the wardrobe and to the back office. 

“Welcome to my little hole in the wall.” Kurt said with a sweeping arm across the small space. There was a desk and a couple chairs, but since Kurt spent most of his time in the wardrobe itself, it was perfectly fine for him. “I just have to check my emails and then I can give you a tour of the rest of the offices.”

“Ok, take your time. I’m just here to support and look pretty.” Sebastian said as he situated himself in one of the chairs, trying to pose seductively, but ultimately looking silly.

Kurt laughed and sat at his computer. There wasn’t much, it seemed like Megan may have taken care of some things for him while he was out. He sent a quick reply to some designers trying to schedule fittings, emailed a press kit application for an upcoming fashion show, and sent Isabelle a quick email about missing a couple of blog posts. Kurt knew Isabelle was caught up on all the drama, but he still wanted to be professional. Once he was done, he looked up at Sebastian who was lying across the armrests of the chair reading something on his phone. 

  
  


“Now that is a vision.” Kurt said with a slight laugh. Sebastian sat up with a slight blush to his cheeks. “Ready for your tour, good sir?”

“I’ll follow you anywhere you lead, babe.” Sebastian said standing up.

Kurt showed him the journalists station, the editors room, the graphic department, and the room where they did small backdrop photoshoots. When they got to the kitchen, however, Sebastian lit up. There was an entire counter of pastries and snacks displayed out. Kurt gave him a nod to help himself and Sebastian loaded his arms up. He got a couple looks from the other employees but Kurt just smiled at them and shrugged. “Seb, I think you have enough junk to last you until next summer.”

“Babe, I’m not in the fashion industry, I eat carbs and I have no qualms getting fat. Just more cushin for the pushin’, babe.”

“I’ll be pushing you in a wheelchair after you lose a foot to diabetes.” Kurt teased.

Sebastian just stuck out his tongue and shoved a bagel between his teeth. The rest of the day went pretty quickly. Sebastian watched Kurt pull looks for a photoshoot, he watched Megan orchestrate a fitting, and he met more of Kurt’s coworkers. When Kurt was busy or distracted, Sebastian entertained himself with his phone or snacking. They got a few looks, but no one said anything to them about what had happened with Louis, which both Kurt and Sebastian appreciated. 

At the end of the day, Kurt looked up from his desk to see Sebastian had fallen asleep in his chair with his phone on his stomach and a half eaten donut on his chest. Kurt smiled as he looked at the sleeping boy. Not quite ready to wake him up yet, Kurt decided to take a quick bathroom break. As Kurt started to walk through the wardrobe, he started to feel uneasy. Soon it felt like he was being watched, and Kurt whipped his head around, seeing no one. With a deep breath, he realized he was being silly and headed off to the bathroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Louis is gone. 
> 
> Ominous Countdown: 1.5 (due to updating only half the chapter)


	14. Aftermath (Part 2)/Bad News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so since it's been a WHILE, this is the chapter the countdown was leading to. It's not beta'd or perfect. But I wanted to send along this belated Chanukah/Christmas "gift". please read the end notes.

A few weeks later, while Kurt was very comfortable cuddled with Sebastian, he couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling. It was a dull nuisance the day Sebastian visited his work, but over time it grew like an omen of something big.

“Bas?” Kurt asked as he carded his fingers through Sebastian’s hair.

“Hmm?”

“Do you ever have a feeling like something is just off? Like, you know nothing is wrong but you just feel like something bad is going to happen.”

“I don’t know, babe, let me check with the psychiatrist I have for my OCD and anxiety.” Sebastian responded sarcastically. 

“Okay, good point.”

“What is this about?” Sebastian shifted so they were looking at each other.

“I know everything with Louis is mostly over until his trial, so it’s not that. And everything is fine at work. And we are doing great, right?”

“We are doing great.”

“Good. But I can't quite put my finger on it but something is off.”

Sebastian took a beat, “Well, when was the last time you called your dad? I know talking to him makes you feel better.” 

“You’re right, I think I’m going to call him now. It should be a good time in the US.” Kurt got up and went to his room to call his dad. After a while ringing, his dad’s voicemail picked up, “Hey Dad. I just wanted to check in and catch up. Things have been pretty hectic here. Please just give me a call back soon. Don’t worry about the time difference. Ok, I love you. Talk soon.”

Kurt hung up and quickly checked google to see what time it was with the difference. his dad should have been near his phone. Maybe he forgot his phone or took a late lunch. So Kurt took a chance and called Carole. The phone rang for a while and her voicemail picked up. Kurt left a similar message and hung up. He then tried Finn, only to receive the same result. The entire ordeal left Kurt feeling even more uneasy. Kurt walked back into the main room and sat next to Sebastian, who was jotting away in his therapy journal. 

“Ok, something is wrong.” Kurt said. “I called my dad and there was no answer, I called Carole and no answer, and I even called Finn and there was no answer. Finn answers his phone while on the toilet. I mean, what's the point of having the international phone plan if they aren’t going to answer my calls? No, something is wrong, I’m calling Rachel, or Santana. She knows everyone's business. Or maybe I should call Sue.”

“Babe, calm down. Maybe your dad and Carole took Finn to a movie or something. Just try them again later, I’m sure they’ll answer. No need to panic, and yes, that is rich coming from me and maybe it’s my meds talking, but I’m sure everything is ok.” Sebastian was at Kurt’s side by then, “Come on, lets go lie down and cuddle. I’ll even tell embarrassing stories of my childhood, ones that don’t manifest into trauma.” 

They headed to their own rooms to change into pjs, then met in Kurt’s room for their cuddle. They alternated whose bed they slept in. Mostly, it depended on if Kurt’s room was clean enough for Sebastian to sleep peacefully. Once settled, Sebastian held Kurt and methodically played with his hair. 

“Now let me tell you about the second grade mural. Imagine, seven year old Sebastian, cute as a button and very excited that his teacher was letting the class paint a whole wall in the classroom. We each got our own little part of the wall to paint in any way we wanted, as long as it was appropriate. I wanted to paint a lion, my favorite animal at the time, and even brought in pictures as reference. Now, you may not know this about me, but I am the world’s worst artist. I always have been. So there I was, seven years old painting the ugliest lion anyone has ever seen. I mean it was bad. My mother will gladly send you pictures. But you could never tell me that. I thought it was the best looking painting in the class. I was so convinced that the following year, I went back to her classroom to show it off to my friends but the new class had already painted over it. I was so mad that during recess, I snuck back into her classroom and painted another lion on a completely different wall. I swear it was worse than the first one. I got in so much trouble but my parents simply paid for the wall to be repainted and the school didn't care anymore. My grandfather demanded that a photo of both lions be printed and framed in his house. My dad has it now in the attic, I’m sure with all the other monstrosity craft projects I made as a kid. I should have him ship it all here. We can put them up in the hall as a museum of bad art.”

“I’m sure it's not that bad. Here,” Kurt sat up and reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out a sketchbook and a pencil. He turned to a blank page and handed them over. “Draw me a lion.”

“Do I even want to know why this is next to your bed?” Sebastian laughed as he took the items and began to draw the best lion he could.

“Sometimes I dream about a great design and I want to get it down before I forget.” Kurt’s cheeks turned really pink. 

“That’s so adorable.” Sebastian cooed. “Almost as adorable as this lion.”

Kurt looked at the drawing Sebastian made. He turned it this way and that way. He squinted. “I thought you said it was a lion?”

“It is.”

Kurt tilted the drawing again, “Oh, now I see. It’s very...well...abstract.”

Sebastian kissed Kurt’s cheek, “no need to patronize me, I’m aware that art isn’t my thing. I’m much more into reading and writing.”

Kurt put his sketching things away and they went back to cuddling. They traded stories for a while. Kurt talked about making his dad attend tea parties and Sebastian talked about his obsession with green jello. Kurt was talking about bedazzling his coveralls for the tire shop when his phone rang. He quickly got up to answer noticing his dad calling him. 

“Dad! I tried you earlier but it went to voicemail.” 

“Yeah, kiddo. Sorry about that.” Burt sounded a bit off on the phone.

“What were you up to?” Kurt knew he sounded nervous.

“Kurt, you're at home, right? It’s not good news.”

“Yes I’m home. What is it? Is it the cancer? Did it come back? I thought you were doing better?”

“No, kiddo, it’s not that. It..oh god… I don’t know how else to tell you this but, it’s Finn.” Burt took a calming breath, “He, uh, he passed away last night.”

Kurt collapsed back on to the bed, “What? How?”

“He went for a run early in the morning, he was really trying to get back in shape. But when he came home, he barely made it through the door and collapsed.” Burt’s voice was shaky. “There apparently was some kind of blockage and he wasn’t getting enough oxygen to brain. Carole heard the door and went downstairs to greet him but he was already down. He was in and out for a few hours but his lung collapsed and he had a few seizures. He..uh...died around 11 last night.”

“I..can’t..I…” Kurt was in shock. Sebastian had sensed the tension in Kurt’s body language and now was rubbing Kurt’s back to soothe him. 

“I know I should have called you earlier kiddo but we barely started processing everything. God, Carole is a mess. I wanted to call you first, but we still have to call people on Carole’s side and of course Puck and Schuster, and Rachel...shit, Rachel. I might need to hold off on calling anyone else. I just, I just wanted to call you and tell you. God, kiddo, I wish I could have done something, you know. It was just sudden.”

“There was nothing you could do, Dad. And I’m gonna fly home as soon as I can. I know Megan will understand. She’s insanely understanding, you have no idea.”

“Are you sure? After everything with that Louis kid..”

“It will be fine. My family is more important.”

After a few more parting words, Kurt hung up the phone and just stared at it in his hands.

“Kurt? What happened?” Sebastian was very concerned. As pale as Kurt usually was this was a new level of ashen. 

“My brother died.” Kurt said in barely a whisper before completely falling apart. “I knew something was wrong. I just knew it.”

“Ok, you call Megan. I’ll book our flight and secure a car rental. I’m assuming you’ll be staying at your parents house so I wont worry about a hotel. Unless I should stay at one, I don’t know how your dad will feel about me staying in the house, I’m not family.”

Kurt snapped to reality and processed what Sebastian was saying. “You want to come with me?”

“Of course I do. Kurt, I love you. And you’re hurting and losing a family member is hard, as I’m sure you know. I just want to be there for you.”

“I love you too. And, no, my dad won't care if you stay at the house or not. Besides, I really do want you there.”

With a kiss to the top of Kurt’s head, Sebastian went off to his laptop to work on booking a flight. He figured he would book a one way, and then figure out the return flight later. He also sent his mother a text to let her know what was happening. Unsure of how long they would be in Ohio, he also sent an email to his psychiatrist about shifting to over the phone appointments for the time being. Meanwhile, Kurt called Megan who was very accommodating. 

“Kurt, love, you are completely indispensable here, so no worries about your job. You take all the time you need and I will keep your family in my heart. I am so sorry for your loss.”

Two days later, Kurt and Sebastian were landing at the airport in Columbus and picking up the rental car. Kurt had been very quiet since his father’s call, but Sebastian never pressed him. He would sit and hold Kurt, softly sing to him, and helped him pack as well. Sebastian made it his goal to be supportive as he could possibly be to Kurt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I've was having a really rough time getting Finn's death written. Between stress of school and a death in my family, I was just not mentally present enough to get an update in.
> 
> 2) If any of this seems off, it's because I wrote it as a calming mechanism while having a panic attack. After my normal calming techniques, i usually like a distraction, so I picked writing.
> 
> 3) I know i originally said it would be 20 chapters but given the circumstances, it may be one more chapter and then a time jump epilogue. I haven't decided yet, but the way things are going for me, it's getting very tough to finish this story
> 
> 4) If you want to add my socials, either use twitter or tiktok. I'm @amieleighluna on both. I don't use tumblr, sorry
> 
> 5) low key, fuck 2020 am I right?


	15. Penultimate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so this is a quick one, but it's the second to last chapter.

The first week in Lima was a blur. Kurt helped his dad and Carole make phone calls to relatives and friends. Kurt volunteered to call Rachel since he knew how to handle her a bit better. She was a mess. She flew in the day before the funeral and never said a single word the entire time. Carole wasn’t much better. The Hummel boys handled most of the arrangements. Sebastian helped in any way he could. He cooked, made tea, helped with household chores, and was emotional support for Kurt. Burt was happy to know that his son had someone who was so involved and willing to just support Kurt. 

The second week was considerably calmer. Finn was cremated. Rachel was given a small urn, Carole had a larger urn, and a small box of ashes were buried on the McKinley High football field. Rachel was also sent back to New York with 2 heaping boxes of Finn’s belongings; clothing, photos, trinkets he saved from his relationship with her. Puck was given some things as well. Finn’s football jersey was framed and hung in the gymnasium at the school. Burt and Carole wanted to save the trophies, a game ball, and photos. Kurt, however, had become accustomed to having fewer belongings because he moved twice in his young adult life. He only wanted to keep Finn’s letterman jacket and one framed photo of the two of them wearing matching PJs the first Christmas they had together as a family. 

At the beginning of the third week, it was getting to Kurt how much time he missed at work and he decided it was time to head back to Paris. Sebastian agreed and booked the return flights. On their last night in Ohio, they ate a big dinner and Carole and Kurt both were too tired and headed straight to bed. Burt and Sebastian stayed up a bit longer to watch TV. After the Law and Order episode they were watching ended, a broadcast of Die Hard started playing. 

“You know,” Sebastian started, “When Kurt said this was his favorite movie, I thought he was kidding. But he was so enthralled when we watched it.”

Burt smirked, “This is my anniversary movie with his mom. When she passed, it became a father son tradition, even though he was probably way too young to be watching it. Eventually, Carole and Finn joined us. He must really love you if he watched it with you.”

Sebastian looked at Burt confused, “We watched it before we were together. Long before. In fact, I think he still kind of hated me at the time.” Then he chuckled, That was the night he told me about Louis bugging him at work. So I told him to say I was his boyfriend so that maybe the kid would get over it. Obviously, I was wrong.” 

Burt muted the TV and turned towards Sebastian, “Listen, Kiddo. I really want to thank you for everything you did to protect my son. I love him, but sometimes he can be so stubborn. He takes care of everyone and hardly lets people take care of him. Hearing about how you handled things with that creep and even how you were with all of us while you were here. It means a lot. I want you to know that you are 100% family, too. I know you two are still pretty new in terms of a relationship, but something tells me you two are, as you kids say, endgame.”

Sebastian’s heart warmed. “Thank you, Sir. That means a lot. And Kurt has done so much for me too. Because of him, I know I deserve good things. He’s my person.”

“Well, that’s all a parent wants to hear from their kid’s partner.” Burt patted Sebastian’s knee and turned back to the TV. He switched it to Sports Center. “Oh and Sebastian? Don’t call me Sir. Call me Burt.”

“Ok Burt.” Sebastian smiled and sat back watching TV for a bit longer before heading to bed himself. When he entered the room, he saw Kurt sleeping peacefully. Sebastian quickly changed and crawled into the bed next to him. Immediately, Kurt shifted and melted into Sbeastian’s arms while still asleep. Sebastian kissed the top of his head and whispered, “You’re my forever.”

Kurt responded with a small snore.

~~~

After returning to France, things resumed for Kurt rather quickly. He busied himself with work every day and busied himself at home every night. Sometimes it was cooking, but more often, Kurt was sketching or sewing something. Sebastian knew keeping busy was helping Kurt heal, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit neglected. It didn’t help that he had left his barista job and was now given ample amounts of free time. He started doing some courier deliveries. It allowed him to explore the city and use his bike more. His psychiatrist felt that fresh air and healthy exercise were good companions for his medication and therapy. Sebastian didn’t disagree. 

About a month back in the city, it was Sebastian’s birthday and when he got home from a full day of deliveries, he opened the door to see the flat was beautifully decorated with flowers and candles. The air smelled like the most delicious chocolate on earth. At the center of it all was Kurt holding a giant birthday card. 

“Happy Birthday, Sebby.” 

Sebastian looked at his boyfriend. “Babe, this is amazing. You look amazing. Something smells amazing!”

“The cake is still in the oven but I made dinner and it’s all ready to eat. But I want to give you my present first, so come sit with me. I figured while the cake cools, you can open the gifts your mom dropped off.”

“Kurt, you cooked for me and decorated everything, you didn’t have to get me anything. Also having you in my life is the only gift I need.”

“Oh trust me, you’ll like this gift.” Kurt said as he sat Sebastian down in front of the TV and pushed play on the remote. 

As soon as the familiar faces popped on screen, Sebastian’s eyes began to water. Birthday wishes from Isabelle, past Warbler’s, old and new friends of his from France, and his parents. The video then transitioned into a clip from an old home video. He saw himself about 10 years old, opening presents. Off screen he hears “Ok, Bastian. That big red one is from me.”

Sebastian burst into tears as he heard his grandfather’s voice ringing through the speakers. Kurt took his hand and soothed him. “How did you…?”

Kurt wiped a tear from Sebastian’s cheek, “Your mom helped with hunting down your old friends and actually, your dad emailed me the digital copies of your home videos. I think he’s trying to make up for what happened. Happy Birthday, Bas.”

Sebastian kissed Kurt. When he pulled back, he looked into the eyes of his boyfriend, his partner, his best friend. “I love you so much, Kurt. I don’t know what I did to deserve you to not only forgive me, but to be with me. Thank you for not only this birthday gift but the gift of getting to wake up next to you every day, the gift of patience and affection. The way you were there for me with my health issues and everything. I can’t even begin to explain what that all meant to me. Thank you for being you and being with me.”

“I love you so much, Bas. And don’t sell yourself short, you were my hero when we were in Lima. Losing FInn was so hard for my family and you kept us from completely falling apart.”

They kissed for a bit before the oven timer forced them apart. They made their way to the table and started Sebastian’s birthday dinner. Sebastian sent his parents a text thanking them for helping with the video. He would call them the next day with a more heartfelt response but for tonight, he wanted nothing more than his time with Kurt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news: I love and appreciate all of you so much!  
> Bad news: once this story wraps up, I'm gonna take a break from Glee fics. I'm a bit too far removed from the series now and its harder and harder for me to write these characters. I have some ideas for other fandoms (well mainly Supernatural). Maybe one day I will finish that Glee rewatch and it will spark something.


	16. Series Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is FINALLY the final chapter!  
> It's got a few time jumps but it's a happy ending. I think I've put these boys through enough.

~2 YEARS LATER~

“I can’t believe it! It’s finally here.” Kurt was bouncing with energy as Sebastian placed the nondescript box on the table. 

“Babe, remember. These are advanced copies for me to sign. You can’t keep, read, or crease any of the bindings.” Sebastian warned him. Shortly after his birthday the previous year, Sebastian decided to reread through all his journals. He had kept them from when he first started therapy as a child. Reading back on his journey had him thinking that others may have gone through some similar experiences. He even let Kurt read them, enduring the embarrassment of Kurt knowing how far back his attraction to him went. Kurt was in awe of the depth of his story and said that it would make a beautiful book. It was a thought Sebastian couldn’t get out of his head. He wasn’t sure he wanted to expose his private life too much, but with Kurt and his family’s permission, he changed a few names and details and decided to publish his life story as more of a young adult realistic fiction. Most of the plot was based on his real life, but he changed a few details to allow himself some secrets. Julianne found him an editor and a book agent. Michael had offered to bankroll the project, but Sebastian refused and just simply asked for him to be there for him. 

“I know, but I just can’t wait to hold one in my hands. It’ll be really, really, real.” Kurt carefully cut the tape open. “My boyfriend, the famous author!” 

“I’m not famous yet. No one has even read it.” Sebastian pulled one of the books out of the box. His agent insisted he sign a bunch, preemptively, to send to critics and press outlets. THen he would have a book tour first in the US and Canada, then in Europe. He had spent weeks mentally preparing himself for hotels and handshakes and strangers. Luckily, it was a known fact that the book had details of his own OCD, so his agent made sure that he had minimal physical contact with any triggering things. She even made sure that his contracts included hand sanitizer and a layout of how to perfectly place everything for signing events.

“You will be. I am so proud of you. We all are.” Kurt kissed his boyfriend on the head and left him to focus on signing. “I’ll be in my workroom, if you need me.” 

The next few months were a bit hectic for Sebastian’s liking. The one thing that made him feel somewhat grounded, was having Kurt at his side the whole way. Kurt took a sabbatical from the magazine to not only join Sebastian on his press tour, but to also take time to work on a project of his own. Inspired by Sebastian, Kurt wan’t to turn something that was once just for him and turn it into something for everyone. He was developing a fashion line with emphasis on the clothes being versatile. Some items were unisex, others flowed from day to night with a simple zipper or button. Kurt had always enjoyed blurring the lines of fashion and his time in France made him realize that there was a market for this style. So while Sebastian was doing interviews, Kurt was sketching away. Once the tour was over, he’d start working on the physical pieces. Even during the evenings, they sat in their hotel bed, Kurt sketching or looking up fabric prices and Sebastian writing in his newest journal. 

“The sequel.” He would joke.

  
  


~ANOTHER YEAR PASSES~

  
  


Kurt looked around the once full flat. It was strange seeing everything of the life he built in Paris in boxes. He had lived and worked in the city of his dreams for almost 4 years and now he was moving far away from it. He got a call a few weeks back about Burt’s cancer coming back and that it had spread. After the success of his first line, Kurt was hurriedly finishing up another. Sebastian had just published the second book in what was now becoming a series. But they realized that being in France wasn’t necessary for their jobs and that Kurt didn’t want to be half a world away from his dad.

Sebastian’s dad found them a house in Nassau County in New York City. Kurt insisted that it was too expensive, but Michael shrugged and said, “Buying Sebastian a house was always the plan, it’s in my will that part of his inheritance is for a substantial home to raise a family. He’s just getting it now, instead of after I pass.”

Michael also explained that the hospital near the new house was the best cancer treatment facility in the state and that they could move Burt and Carole into the house with them until he was better. Eventually Kurt agreed and they started shipping their belongings to New York. Sebastian volunteered to unpack and set up the new house while Kurt was busy setting up his studio in Manhattan. 

The first couple weeks back in New York were hectic, to say the least. The house wasn’t furnished so they spent the first few days waiting for their furniture to ship from France. Once they had the bedrooms, one for them, one for Burt and Carole, and one extra one for any guests; Sebastian and Kurt worked on filling in the rest of the spaces with couches, chairs, tables, etc. It was tiring, but eventually, the house looked beautiful. 

To Kurt, the most surprising thing about the move came a month later. He and Sebastian were watching TV in bed when Sebastian turned to look at him. 

“How do you feel about getting a dog? Not anything to yippy, but just something loving and cute.”

“You, Mr. Neat-and-Tidy, want to get a dog?” Kurt was taken aback.

“Yea, I think something like a retriever or something. We can train him to not be too aggressive, we have a yard and no one is using it, and it might be good for your dad too to have the emotional support. I know I can handle a dog, I had one growing up. Both in Paris and Ohio.”

“Well, let me sleep on it, but I think a dog would be a great idea for my dad. And if it does prove too much, it can be my dad’s dog and live with them in Ohio when they go back.”

Sebastian turned with a beaming smile. He said quietly, almost to himself, “I’m gonna name it Darcy.”

~6 MONTHS LATER~

Kurt hugged his dad one more time before Burt leaned down to pet Darcy behind his ears. “Who is the best boy? Grandpa is gonna miss you so much!”

Kurt rolled his eyes at his father’s antics. Both he and Sebastian treated the black lab as a human child. 

“He’s our son, Kurt!” Sebastian would say, “Stop referring to him as ‘the dog’! He has a name.”

Carole joined Kurt in his eye rolling, “Looks like we’re headed to the shelter when we get back home.”

“Can we?” Burt sounded like a kid who found out he was going to Disney at that. 

“Yes, we can even find one that can be trained and certified to be a therapy dog. The doctor did agree that Darcy was a good way to keep your morale up.”

With one more set of hugs and goodbyes, Burt and Carole got in their rented car and started the long drive back to Ohio. Kurt, Sebastian, and Darcy headed back inside and settled on the couch. After a little TV, Sebastian was tired. The packing and boxing up of Burt and Carole's stuff drained him and he needed some time to reset. Darcy usually joined Sebastian during his low times, but he was too content cuddling next to Kurt and getting his head petted. Kurt looked down at his big brown eyes with a smile. “Can I tell you a secret, Darcy?”

Darcy perked up and let out a quiet “woof”.

“While your Papa is napping, you and I are going to set up a nice romantic dinner. And then when I say the command, you can do the trick we practiced. Okay?” 

Darcy licked at Kurt’s hand in agreeance. 

A few hours later, Sebastian woke up to see a note on the pillow next to him telling him to get dressed for a nice dinner. Once he was dressed, He exited the bedroom to only be greeted by a path of long stem roses and electric votive candles leading him to the dining room. The dining room had the lights dimmed and was decked out like a scene from a movie. There was a small card on the table telling him to sit and relax. After a moment, Kurt entered the room holding two plates of food. He placed one down in front of Sebastian and one in front of the empty chair. He kissed Sebastian’s cheek and quickly went back into the kitchen to retrieve the wine. 

When Kurt finally sat down, Sebastian eyed him carefully. “Kurt? What is all this? I didn’t miss an anniversary? Did I? I thought I had those alerts in my phone set right.”

“Nope. I just wanted to do something special because I love you.” Kurt smiled softly and began eating. Sebastian shrugged it off and started in on his dinner as well. After they were both finished, Kurt took their plates and returned with two cupcakes from their favorite bakery. A red velvet for Sebastian and a marble for Kurt. 

“This was so wonderful Kurt.” Sebastian said, taking Kurt’s hand and kissing his fingertips. 

“Well, I must admit. I had some help. Darcy was very helpful, weren’t you?” Kurt said, looking around for the dog. “Where did he go? Darcy?” 

Darcy came lumbering into the dining room, wearing his new vest and collar. 

Kurt gave him a pause command and then said, “Darcy. Show Papa your new trick. Show Papa, fashion pose.”

At the command, Darcy hurried to Sebastian and popped his front paws on to Sebastian’s knees and lifted his nose in the air to show off his collar and vest. When he did this, it allowed Sebastian to see the words stitched into the collar. 

“Will you marry my dad?”

Sebastian looked up at Kurt, who was now removing something from his pocket and getting to one knee. “Kurt?”

“Sebastian, I love you more than I can even describe. I love your attributes, your faults, your highs, your lows. I love you more and more with every passing day and I want to continue doing so for the rest of my life as your husband. So, Sebastian Smythe. Will you marry me?”

Sebastian carefully lowered Darcy’s paws off his lap before quickly crossing to Kurt. “Kurt, I would marry you a hundred times over. I love you, so much.”

They kissed until Darcy got antsy and tried to join the embrace. Sebastian laughed as Kurt bent down to scratch his head. He then placed the silver band onto Sebastian’s finger. “Looks like we can stop raising our four-legged son out of wedlock.”

Sebastian gasped, “You called him our son! That settles it. I’m getting us three matching sweaters!”

~THE END~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this is it. Maybe once the semester is over, I can regain my love of writing Glee fics, but who knows. I have loved writing Kurtbastian for the last few years and even loved writing Klaine...back in the day. I hope to one day look back on all of those stories without cringing...it may be a while. I hope you guys liked this story and I will still be reading Kurtbastian fics, so here's hoping I loop back around to wanting to write them again. I LOVE YOU ALL AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT!


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